connections
w
3
ICE your phone
If you have a cellphone, your address
book isn’t complete unless you’ve added
“
ICE” entries into it. ICE stands for
in case of
emergency
.
ICE entries are your emergency
contacts.
If you’re seriously injured or ill, emer-
gency medical personnel can use your ICE
entries to contact people who are familiar
with your medical history. You need at
least two entries. You might save them as
“
ICE–1” and “ICE–2” or with names such as
“
ICE–MOM.” The ICE designation should
always come rst.
Doctors, nurses
and paramedics are
increasingly check-
ing for ICE entries
in address books.
If they’re listed,
emergency profes-
sionals can im-
mediately identify
the appropriate
number to call
for potentially
lifesaving
information.
Source: American
College of Emergency
Physicians
How electronic medical records help you
Clearing the air: We’re smoke-free
The next time you nd yourself on the Gritman Medical Center campus, take a deep
breath—we’re certain it will be a breath of fresh air.
That’s because we’re among the growing number of hospitals that are entirely smoke-
free. And we’re excited about what this means for our patients, sta and visitors.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking is the nation’s
No. 1 preventable cause of death. It’s been linked to heart disease, cancer, lung disease
and many other health problems—in smokers and in those exposed to their smoke. So it
only makes sense that cigarettes and other forms of tobacco should be banned in a place
dedicated to preserving and restoring health.
Research shows hospital smoking bans ultimately lower smoking rates among both
patients and employees. Our hope is that the no-smoking policy will not only make for
a more pleasant environment, but that it will give folks who light up the jump-start they
need to become permanent nonsmokers.
If you’d like help to quit smoking, speak with your doctor. There are a number of medica-
tions and smoking cessation programs that may be bene cial.
To learn about smoking cessation counseling, call
208-883-6236
.
As part of our ongoing e ort to practice ef-
cient, e ective and safe medicine, we use
electronic medical records (EMR).
As its name implies, an EMR is an
electronic version of your health history.
It includes details such as a list of your
medications and the results of your medi-
cal tests. It can help:
Ensure accuracy.
With an EMR, doctors
have your up-to-date health history at their
ngertips. Also, an EMR is typically easier
to read than handwritten or photocopied
records.
Coordinate care among members
of your healthcare team.
EMRs make it
easier for doctors to share your medical
information, which is especially helpful if
you see more than one doctor or specialist.
In addition, you’ll probably have to ll out
fewer health forms.
Reduce the risk of medical mistakes.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality reports that an EMR can help re-
duce the chance that doctors will duplicate
tests or prescribe incompatible treatments.
Deliver timely care.
Doctors can search
EMRs more easily than paper records, which
canmean faster treatment. Less time doing
paperwork alsomeans that doctors can
spendmore time caring for patients.
Since adopting an EMR system, we’ve
also put in place new measures to pro-
tect your privacy. Be assured that we use
proven security technology to prevent your
health information from being viewed or
used without your consent.
Visit
www.gritman.org
to learn about other services at Gritman Medical Center.