Companies scramble to build digital hospital

HealthSouth and Oracle have joined forces to build the first all-digital hospital, featuring patient beds with display screens connected to the Internet, electronic medical record storage, and digital imaging. A wireless communications network will provide secure access to medical records from anywhere in or outside the hospital. HealthSouth expects to spend up to $125 million over 24 to 32 months on the hospital, which will be built near the company’s 92-acre campus in suburban Birmingham, AL. Oracle will develop healthcare software to support clinical applications and hospital operations. Among the other companies involved in the project are GE Medical Systems and Visualization Technology, which will provide image-guided systems for cranial, spinal, orthopedic, and ENT surgery. HealthSouth provides outpatient surgery, diagnostic imaging, and rehabilitative services, while Oracle specializes in e-business software.