Funding Would Help the Hospitals Create a System to Keep Electronic Medical Records

WASHINGTON - This week, Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski (D-PA) submitted his testimony to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies in support of funding would be used to purchase a Mini Picture Archiving and Communication System that would enable Gnaden Huetten Memorial Hospital in Lehighton and the Palmerton Hospital in Palmerton, which are a part of Blue Mountain Health System, to maintain electronic medical records.

"Blue Mountain Health System is looking in the right direction by following President Obama's call to transfer hospital medical records into an electronic format," said Congressman Kanjorski.  "Because of this technology, patients at the two hospitals in Carbon County will receive improved treatment.  It marks a solid step forward toward improving our health care locally.  I strongly encourage the Appropriations Committee to include funding for this project, as well as my other requests, in the upcoming bill."

The text of Congressman Kanjorski's statement for the Congressional Record on the Blue Mountain Health System follows:

TESTIMONY OF CONGRESSMAN PAUL E. KANJORSKI

SUBCOMMITTEE ON LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES

MAY 12, 2009

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As the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies considers Members' fiscal year 2010 Appropriations requests, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight a vitally important project in my Congressional District.  I appreciate the opportunity to submit testimony to the Subcommittee and I thank each Member for their previous support of projects in my District.  While I am only providing additional information on this project, all of the requests that I have submitted have considerable merit and I urge you to give them full and fair consideration. 

I am requesting funding for the Blue Mountain Health System to acquire a Mini Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS).  The hospitals of the Blue Mountain Health System are regional providers of health care services to the people living in Carbon, Monroe, Lehigh, Northampton and Schuylkill Counties.  The member hospitals of the Blue Mountain Health System have been serving the community for more than 150 years.  Each hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission and its diagnostic outpatient services, including vascular testing, mammography, ultrasound, cardiac rehabilitation and clinical laboratory are also accredited by their respective national professional organizations.

Following the call of President Obama to implement an electronic medical record system, Blue Mountain Health System has dedicated part of its yearly fundraising and reserve revenue to the acquisition of a PACS system.  PACS is a computer network dedicated to the storage, retrieval, transmission and presentation of medical images.  This new system will replace the need for hard copies of medical imaging and decrease the cost of digital storage.  Furthermore, due to its computer networking capabilities, the PACS system will help Blue Mountain Health System work with surrounding health care providers to share medical information so that patients do not have to travel for unnecessary tests at other facilities.

For fiscal year 2010, I am respectfully requesting $300,000 that would allow Blue Mountain Health System, Inc. to purchase a Mini Picture Archiving and Communication System for its imaging departments at its two hospitals located in Carbon County. 

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