NEON allows northern hospitals to 'work together'

The Northeastern Ontario Network (NEON) recently added six new hospitals to its partnership, bringing the total number to 19 – the highest number of Ontario hospitals hosted under one data centre.

NEON began in 1999 and is a partnership of hospitals dedicated to creating integrated patient records to allow for the seamless delivery of care throughout northern Ontario, stated a press release from Sudbury Regional Hospital.

Hospitals within NEON share patient information through Meditech's electronic medical record (EMR), resulting in improved patient care, less duplication of diagnostic testing and faster access to clinical information.

The newest hospitals to join the network include the Manitoulin Health Centre, Espanola Hospital, Blind River District Health Centre, Hôpital Notre Dame Hearst Hospital, Sensenbrenner Hospital Kapuskasing and Hornepayne Community Hospital.

 “This expansion marks another step forward in improving the quality of patient care in Northeastern Ontario,” Gaston Roy, Sudbury Regional Hospital's chief information officer, said in a press release.

“NEON has given its partners the ability to work together to promote timely and efficient care. Access to health information on a secure reliable network is not only economically sound, it provides clinicians and staff the opportunity to work together to provide the best possible care to patients.”

The NEON consortium includes Anson General Hospital in Iroquois Falls, Bingham Memorial Hospital in Matheson, Chapleau Health Services, Englehart and District Hospital, Hôpital régional de Sudbury Regional Hospital, Kirkland and District Hospital, Lady Dunn Health Centre in Wawa, Lady Minto Hospital in Cochrane Smooth Rock Falls Hospital, St Joseph's Continuing Care Centre, St Joseph General Hospital in Elliot Lake, Temiskaming Hospital and the Timmins and District Hospital.