UMHS Selects Interactive System for New Children's, Women's Hospital

New C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital will use GetWellNetwork system for patient education and safety

ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 4, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Patients at the new C.S. Mott Children's Hospital will have access to a new patient education, entertainment and interactive patient care tools system that will keep them and their families engaged and informed throughout their stay at the new hospital.

The University of Michigan Health System partnered with GetWellNetwork, Inc. of Bethesda, Md., to implement the bedside interactive system GetWell Town for use at the new 348-bed children's hospital. GetWellNetwork will also implement the system at Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital, the premier perinatal and birth center located within Mott. The new hospital complex opens November 2011.

"GetWell Town was chosen for its innovative and effective approach to engaging children and families into the care process," says Loree Collett, administrative director of Children's and Women's Services at the University of Michigan Health System.  

The 46" flat panel monitors displaying the GetWellNetwork System in the patient rooms will enable clinicians, Child and Family Life program staff, and other members of the care team to interact and communicate with their patients and families.

"When patients and families are well-informed and engaged in their care, they have less anxiety or fear about their health condition and hospital stay plus they're better prepared to continue with their care plans after discharge -- improving outcomes," says Collett. "GetWellNetwork's comprehensive and flexible digital platform fits perfectly with our vision of a modern, innovative health care environment that focuses on personalized patient care throughout the care continuum."

GetWell Town's communication system allows clinicians and staff to overlay TV or movie programs with important patient safety alerts, Child and Family Life Program events, and other hospital information like a "Question of the Day" to help patients become active participants in their care. In addition, patients will have a broad range of entertainment features such as TV, movies, internet service, gaming, and music.

Kelly Parent, mother of a former Mott patient who leads the UMHS Patient and Family Centered Care Program, said the system will provide a necessary and critical distraction for hospitalized children.

"The Internet, on-demand movies, familiar games and music channels will really help to make kids feel a little more normal in a world of hospitals and pokes that is not very normal at all," she says.

Her daughter Jessica, who has been a patient at Mott, had a chance to test the system before it was purchased. "I love the Internet connection and on-demand movies," she says. "The Internet is a great way to keep up with what's going on outside of the hospital and the movies help to pass the time."

Another unique feature of GetWell Town is the KidsHealth education content that is developed for both younger children and teen patients. Parents will have their own set of tools to learn about their child's diagnosis, prescribed medicines, and upcoming surgeries ensuring that families are well-prepared to support their child's individualized needs and care plan.  

At the Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital, GetWellNetwork will provide patients a wide range of features and amenities to ensure patient safety and comfort during their stay. By enabling women to use the GetWellNetwork from their bedside TV, they will learn, at their own pace, about after-birthing care for themselves and their newborn. It also gives nurses the ability to reinforce safety education that will reduce the risk of falls and complications post-surgery and birth.

The partnership will be the first to deliver IPTV technology (Internet Protocol TV) with the GetWellNetwork system. IPTV uses the existing hospital data network for crisp, clear delivery of television and allows location flexibility for future expansion throughout UMHS facilities.

About U-M's C.S. Mott Children's and Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital

U-M C.S. Mott Children's Hospital is consistently ranked among the country's best hospitals by U.S. News and World Report. A new 1.1 million square feet, $754 million state-of-the-art facility for children and women will be the new home for specialty services for newborns, children and women. These include the world renowned Michigan Congenital Heart Center, Neuroscience program including Neurology, Neurosurgery and Craniofacial anomalies, Fetal surgery, Orthopedics spine program, Brachial plexus program and the Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant service, high risk pregnancy and specialty gynecological services. More information about C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital can be found at www.med.umich.edu/mott and www.med.umich.edu/whp.

About GetWellNetwork

GetWellNetwork, Inc. entertains, educates, and empowers patients throughout the patient journey using the bedside TV in the hospital, mobile devices, Web or Cable TV at home. This patient-centered approach improves both satisfaction and outcomes for patients and hospitals. GetWellNetwork is recognized by KLAS as the leader in the new Interactive Patient Systems category and exclusively endorsed by the American Hospital Association. More information can be found at www.GetWellNetwork.com.

SOURCE University of Michigan Health System