New Platform Supports Recently Added Screening, Builds on Initiatives to Enhance Newborn Care, Reduces Infant Mortality
OZ Systems, a leading provider of public health information systems, has partnered with JPS Health Network to implement a new health IT-based platform aimed at enhancing newborn screening, care, patient safety and health outcomes. The hospital has begun using OZ BabyBundle™, which captures newborn screening data directly from medical devices to ease workflow, reduce manual data entry, prevent human errors and improve reporting compliance and patient safety in the newborn nursery.
JPS Health Network, Tarrant County’s publicly funded healthcare system, provides inpatient, primary and specialty care services to families in one of the largest counties in Texas. The hospital delivers on average more than 6,000 babies each year – encompassing 20% of all the deliveries in Tarrant County. In 2013, JPS launched a system-wide initiative to combat the county’s comparatively high infant mortality rate of 7.6 deaths per 1,000 live births.
The addition of OZ BabyBundle™ and OZ STAR™ builds upon this important program, which has focused on improving prenatal and early postpartum care and education. OZ BabyBundle™ is part of OZ STAR™, an integrated technology platform that makes it possible to Screen, Track, Analyze and Report newborn screening in one automated process. The system also leverages OZ NANI™, which is a messaging platform that bridges the gap between Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Public Health (PH) information systems.
“JPS Health Network is committed to providing the best possible care and safest environment for mothers and newborns,” said Wanda Peebles, Chief Nursing Officer. “We are always looking for opportunities to use innovative tools that allow our staff to do their jobs more efficiently, yet keep patient safety at the forefront.”
“We are very excited to be engaging with a growing number of delivery hospitals as they focus on enhancing quality care and safety for all patients – but particularly newborns,” said OZ Systems CEO Dr. Terese Finitzo. “Hospitals have been asking for these tools. It’s been our goal to not only provide hospitals a simpler, safer and integrated mechanism to provide vital state-mandated newborn screening services, but to take the pain out of reporting data to public health departments in a seamless, timely fashion.”
More than 65 hospitals in Texas already utilize OZ NANI™ and a growing number of Texas hospitals incorporate automated reporting and clinical decision support into the newborn healthcare ecosystem. All Texas birthing facilities use OZ Systems tools to report hearing screening results to the state. Data suggests that reducing human error and improving timeliness of newborn screening and intervention can markedly improve patient safety and health outcomes for newborns.
Of the 400,000 annual births in Texas, approximately 900 babies are diagnosed with primary or secondary conditions detected through newborn bloodspot screening. Two to three babies born daily in Texas are hard of hearing or deaf and it is anticipated that 1,200 infants will be born each year in Texas with Critical Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD) – which may be detected with point of care newborn pulse oximetry screening. CCHD screening has been mandated by the state of Texas since September 1, 2014.
About JPS Health Network
JPS Health Network, Tarrant County’s publicly funded healthcare system, includes a 537-bed acute care hospital in Fort Worth, 30 primary and specialty care health centers and 19 school-based health centers located throughout the county, and the county’s only Level 1 Trauma Center and psychiatric emergency center. JPS is home to nine medical residency programs, including the largest hospital-based family medicine residency in the United States.
About OZ Systems
OZ Systems develops and implements the world’s smartest information technology platforms – bridging crucial information gaps that support quality care and timely interventions for patients and those who care for them. Recognized for innovation in design and interoperability, OZ Systems has projects with healthcare providers and public health agencies in ten states and seven countries.