During the winter of 2023, staff at Children’s Mercy Kansas City anticipated a surge in hospital admissions due to viral illnesses like influenza and RSV. However, as winter transitioned into 2024, they noticed a significant change. Children continued to fall ill and require medical care, but the usual anxiety experienced by staff was notably absent.
According to Dr. Jennifer Watts, the hospital’s associate chief medical officer of acute care and inpatient operations, this change was attributed to technology. The hospital had begun using GE HealthCare’s Command Center software for the first time that year. This product allows for digital monitoring of care delivery and patient progress throughout their stay.
Dr. Watts described the system as akin to a “NASA” control hub for healthcare. During their initial winter with GE’s partnership, Children’s Mercy staff found themselves questioning whether the expected surge had arrived. “They just didn’t feel it,” Watts explained. “We were able to prepare. We were able to have [sufficient] staff present. We got rid of the scramble that typically occurs when you don’t prepare for things.”
The use of this technology has enabled Children’s Mercy to manage patient care more effectively during peak illness seasons.
