GE Centricity Perinatal System Launches at the WellStar Douglas Hospital Birthing Center

WellStar Women’s Services started a process of selecting a perinatal surveillance and documentation system several years ago. The GE Centricity Perinatal (CPN) system was selected and after months of planning and training, the GE CPN system went live at WellStar Douglas Hospital on May 3, 2011. Debbie Green, RN, and Linitra Montgomery, RN, have been the core team representatives for the Douglas Hospital Birthing Center and Rosemary Jones, project leader for the WHS team, led the entire process for a smooth implementation. All issues were immediately addressed by WHS’s Information technology team and the GE installation team. WellStar Cobb and Kennestone Women’s Services will go live on the system early this summer.

New features for external fetal monitoring (EFM) include remote surveillance from Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit, Operating Room, Same Day Surgery, Post Anesthesia Care Unit, and GI lab. Pregnant mothers who require care in any of these areas within the hospital may be placed on EFM by the Birthing Center nurse, monitored locally and remotely and assessments documented electronically, all within the GE CPN system. Two mobile carts are ready as “flying workstations” and fully equipped for this application and use. In addition, OB physicians are able to remotely access fetal monitoring and review actual tracings on all patients in the system.

Other features in GE CPN are electronic documentation that is compliant with all new standards and allows elimination of at least 10 paper forms in the medical record. As Phase II is implemented later in 2011, physician documentation will eliminate an even greater amount of paper forms.