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New Tampa General Hospital center uses human and artificial intelligence to improve patient care
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Today Tampa General Hospital launched a high-tech “mission control” clinical command center which uses artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost.
The hospital’s new center is called CareComm and has been developed in partnership with GE Healthcare. It features 20 artificial intelligence apps, video walls with 38 large screens, 32 work stations, multiple computer systems, and a multi-disciplinary clinical team that includes doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals.
CareComm staff use these resources to predict the needs of patients and team members before they arise. With CareComm, Tampa General can anticipate potential roadblocks and issues in the care process, ensuring that rooms, equipment and medical professionals will be available for patients as soon as they’re needed.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis came to TGH for the CareComm unveiling on Tuesday and said he was impressed by the innovation.
“If you had told me we were in Kennedy Space Center in there, I probably would have believed you,” the governor said. He said TGH staff had explained how CareComm helps different hospital departments collaborate and avoid communications silos. “They’ve broken down all these barriers and are able to achieve efficiencies and I think that’s great.”
“CareComm is a new center at Tampa General Hospital that harnesses technology and ingenuity to further improve healthcare,” DeSantis said. “Ensuring Floridians have access to higher quality and more affordable healthcare has been a priority of my administration. I look forward to seeing CareComm’s impact in the Tampa Bay Community.”
The center will improve quality while decreasing costs, said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital.
“CareComm is a huge step in our journey to become the safest and most innovative academic health system in the country,” Couris said. “We’re grateful to our physicians, nurses, staff, and our GE Healthcare partners for helping us leverage technology to drive quality up and costs down. This means better care and lower costs for patients.”
Several other elected officials attended the unveiling on Tuesday.
CareComm’s temporary facility, open since December, already has helped TGH reduce the average patient’s length of stay in the hospital by about half a day. This creates a better experience for patients who are ready to leave the hospital and also allows new patients to get to their rooms sooner. Reducing such inefficiencies has saved about $10 million – savings that ultimately benefit staff and patients.
All this data and analysis is focused on one goal – providing world-class care to patients in a more efficient way.
“CareComm helps us ensure that each patient gets the best possible care right when they need it,” said Dr. Pete Chang, vice president of Care Transitions. “Because our CareComm team is focusing on smoothing each patient’s journey through the hospital, our clinical team at the bedside has more time to spend with the patient.”
TGH doctors, nurses and administrators already work to manage the flow of patients, but it’s a complex task at a 1,007 bed academic medical center that on any given day treats people for cancer, traumatic accidents, heart attacks, infectious diseases and transplant operations.
CareComm uses the best of human ingenuity and artificial intelligence to manage this process.
Part of the reason that CareComm is working so well is because our team work elevates technology,” said Kelly Cullen, executive vice president and chief operating officer. “We’ve got teams from across the hospital – from nurses to transport staff to environmental services – sharing and acting upon information in CareComm to help our team members make sure our patients get the best care.” The center uses technology developed by GE Healthcare.
“Tampa General’s focus on team, patients and innovation was apparent from our first interaction,” said Jeff Terry, CEO of Clinical Command Centers for GE Healthcare. “It’s a terrific environment. The CareComm program includes a digital twin of TGH and a range of process improvement projects. Today is a terrific milestone for John and his team, the results are already impressive, and there’s so much innovation still ahead.”
CareComm’s features include:
- 20 artificial intelligence apps, or “tiles,” from GE Healthcare. These tiles process hundreds of messages every minute, apply advanced analytics, and then provide decision support for CareComm staff
- Individual “tiles” that monitor patient flow, track any delays in care, and even spot early warning signs that a patient’s health may be declining
- 38 large screen LCDs so the tiles can be displayed with live data all the time
- 4 of the LCDs are touch screens so staff can manipulate tiles during huddles and meetings
- Carefully designed processes used by CareComm staff to help team members in the moment
Why are these changes important? It’s all about improving the care to patients – and improving their health outcomes.
Getting patients connected with nurses, doctors and hospital rooms at the soonest possible time often improves their care. “We all know the earlier you treat someone, the better the outcome is, generally speaking,” Chang said.
TGH hospital began a temporary scaled-down version of CareComm in December and moved into a new 8,000 square-foot headquarters on the hospital’s main campus today.
The coordination provided by CareComm also has enabled TGH to open a new Departure Lounge to further improve patients’ experience and patient flow. Instead of waiting in their hospital room to receive their take-home medicine or for their ride home, patients are now able to go to the lounge. It has comfortable chairs, televisions, wi-fi, plus free coffee and snacks. This allows patients to wait in a friendly and comfortable atmosphere, and it also opens up hospital beds sooner for those with acute needs.
“CareComm is the kind of innovation that Tampa General stands for,” Couris said. “Our commitment is to design a system that creates a sustainable and reproducible way to drive up the quality of care and lower of cost. We want to pass this value on to the patients, the payors, and the employers, creating a less expensive delivery model for health care in our state.”
SOURCE Tampa General Hospital
Fintech PR
President Emmerson Mnangagwa met this week with Zambia’s former Vice President and Special Envoy Enoch Kavindele to discuss SADC’s candidate for the AfDB
President Mnangagwa, who is SADC Chairperson, reaffirmed his own country’s and SADC’s enthusiastic support for Zambian candidate Sam Maimbo
LUSAKA, Zambia, Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Special Envoy Kavindele released the following statement following the meeting:
“I am elated to witness the growing success and momentum of Sam Maimbo’s candidacy to become the next President of the African Development Bank. I am filled with gratitude to our friends across both SADC and COMESA for their continued support and good wishes.
Sam has garnered such wide consensus due to his being uniquely qualified to deliver the transformative change and empowerment our continent needs. Sam’s 30 years in development work is defined by driving outcomes, improving processes, and investing in people. The AfDB needs a hands-on leader who is laser focused on delivering results and who is unafraid of making tough decisions in order to best serve our continent. Sam is that leader. Sam has the track record and experience to drastically enhance the pace, scale, and impact of the Bank’s work in service of the people and governments of Africa.
Our region has a proud history of supporting fellow Southern Africans. For example, we all recall Lusaka’s role in hosting the African National Congress’ headquarters during the dark days of Apartheid oppression.
It therefore gives me no pleasure to observe my South African brothers, who have themselves leant on Zambia’s steadfast friendship over many decades, fail to rally behind both SADC and COMESA’s chosen candidate for the AfDB. Africa’s urgent economic development challenges demand transformational leadership at the AfDB, it is all of our responsibility to put forward the best candidate for the job. This is not the time or place for a government to act with narrow self-interest, we all must act in the continent’s and AfDB’s best interest.
I thank Sam Maimbo for his lifelong service to our entire continent, and I am eager to witness his enormous impact as President of the AfDB.”
LONDON, Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Heimdal Security shares a practical holiday cybersecurity checklist, offering expert insights to help businesses safeguard against cyber threats this festive season.
With reduced staffing, remote work setups, and a surge in online shopping creating heightened vulnerabilities, this guide offers actionable tips to enhance business security.
Going beyond basic advice, the checklist also highlights the most common holiday scams and features videos showcasing real-life examples of Christmas-themed cyber scams and effective prevention strategies.
Key Tips to Protect Businesses This Holiday Season:
- Strengthen endpoints: Ensure devices are updated with antivirus and endpoint protection software; consider Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and application whitelisting.
- Prepare for phishing spikes: Train staff to identify suspicious emails, enforce robust email filters, and establish protocols for reporting unusual activity.
- Secure remote access: Mandate VPN usage, monitor unusual logins, and deactivate inactive accounts temporarily.
- Segment and shield networks: Isolate sensitive areas, deploy DNS security and advanced firewalls, and maintain full visibility over network traffic.
- Apply timely patches: Regularly update all systems and test patches in a controlled environment to minimize disruptions.
- Mitigate supply chain risks: Assess vendors thoroughly and limit their access to essential systems.
- Have a response plan ready: Tailor incident protocols for the holidays, create an on-call rotation for the IT team, and enable rapid action against suspicious activity.
“ Cybercriminals thrive on holiday distractions, but with proactive measures like phishing training, secure endpoints, and network segmentation, businesses can stay ahead of potential threats,” said Alex Panait, System Administrator at Heimdal Security.
Common Holiday Scams That Businesses Should Watch For:
Cybercriminals often tailor their tactics to exploit the festive season. The most common scams include:
- Spear phishing: Emails disguised as holiday bonuses or event invitations that steal credentials or spread malware.
- Malicious holiday E-Cards: Festive greetings that contain links deploying ransomware or spyware.
- Fake E-Commerce sites: Fraudulent websites offering discounts to steal payment information.
- Insider threats: Distracted or disgruntled employees mishandling or exploiting sensitive data.
- Corporate travel scams: Fake booking platforms targeting business travelers.
- Business email compromise (BEC): Fraudulent requests for urgent wire transfers during year-end financial rushes.
For more, read the full article here or watch the video on YouTube to see how these threats unfold and learn actionable prevention strategies.
About Heimdal:
Established in Copenhagen in 2014, Heimdal® empowers CISOs, security teams, and IT administrators to improve their security operations, reduce alert fatigue, and implement proactive measures through a unified command and control platform.
Heimdal’s award-winning cybersecurity solutions span the entire IT estate, addressing challenges from endpoint to network levels, including vulnerability management, privileged access, Zero Trust implementation, and ransomware prevention.
For further press information:
Madalina Popovici
Media Relations Manager
[email protected]
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/stay-cyber-safe-this-holiday-season-heimdals-checklist-for-business-security-302337465.html
Fintech PR
According to Tickmill survey, 3 in 10 Britons in economic difficulty: Purchasing power down 41% since 2004
The people who have the most problems are women (30%) and are between 35 and 49 years old (39%)
ROME, Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The purchasing power in the UK has dropped by 41% over the last 20 years. Today, £100,000 left in a bank account since 2004 without being invested would now be worth £59,021.
This figure is one of the findings from a study conducted by Tickmill, an international online trading broker that compared the economic situation in the UK and the European Union through the infographic “Purchasing Power and Cost of Living: UK vs EU”.
The analysis reveals a slight decline of 0.4% in the UK’s purchasing power, which currently stands at £41,573. In contrast, the European Union has seen a modest rise of 0.1%, reaching £40,874.
Why is purchasing power declining in the UK? One key factor is the cost of living. If the UK were still part of the European Union, it would rank as the fifth most expensive country, behind Ireland, Luxembourg, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
Unsurprisingly, 3 in 10 Britons are struggling with the cost of living. Women (3 in 10, compared to 25% of men), those aged between 35 and 49 (4 in 10), households earning less than £15,000 (6 in 10), and single parents (1 in 2) are among the most affected groups.
Among UK nations, Northern Ireland is the hardest hit, with 34% of its population facing financial difficulties, followed by Wales (31%), England (28%), and Scotland (22%). In England, the North East has the highest percentage of people struggling, with 4 in 10 residents affected. Even in London, the high costs impact 1 in 4 adults.
In response to these challenges, Britons are making significant adjustments:
- 53% have cut back or delayed spending on smaller items like eating out, entertainment, subscriptions, clothing, toys, books, etc.;
- 52% have reduced household energy consumption;
- 48% have decreased their grocery spending;
- 41% have scaled back or postponed major expenditures, such as holidays, cars, and weddings;
- 26% are working longer hours, taking on overtime, or pursuing additional jobs to earn extra income.
The British also made changes on the financial side. One in four adults has been forced to dip into their savings or investments to cover daily expenses. Moreover, 44% have stopped saving or investing entirely or have reduced their savings and investments—a 4% increase compared to 2023.
The lack of investment is another critical factor contributing to the decline in purchasing power. It is estimated that 13 million UK residents hold £430 billion in cash deposits but do not invest. The reasons? Seventy-four percent say they cannot compare investment products effectively, and 43% are afraid of losing their money.
A lack of knowledge and fear are preventing many savers from taking advantage of an important opportunity: preserving or increasing their purchasing power in the long term.
Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2586123/Tickmill.jpg
Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2586129/Tickmill_Logo.jpg
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/according-to-tickmill-survey-3-in-10-britons-in-economic-difficulty-purchasing-power-down-41-since-2004-302337354.html
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Fintech PR1 day agoAccording to Tickmill survey, 3 in 10 Britons in economic difficulty: Purchasing power down 41% since 2004