Hospital Gets New Communication System

A new high-tech communication system deployed in ten operating rooms at  is the first of its kind on Long Island, the hospital announced this week.

The system uses 42-inch flat-panel screens to display patient information during surgeries, such as allergies and test results, along with the usual surgical checklists and a progress bar showing how much time remains for the procedure.

It also provides the surgical staff with prompts for patient care, such as the administration of antibiotics or the need to adjust a patient's position for better circulation. The information is pulled from the hospital's existing electronic patient records.

Dr. Kenneth Rosenfeld, medical director of the operating room, said the system is expected to create a better team environment and improve communication.

"Having all this information on the screen and providing reminder prompts for all to see throughout the case should improve safety and efficiency in the operating room," Rosenfeld said.

Called "SAFE" – for "Situational Awareness For Everyone" – the new system was developed at the hospital over the course of two years by Melville-based VTS Medical Systems, and is part of a larger effort to update operating rooms with audio-visual technologies. Two additional flat-panel screens replaced traditional television monitors in a nurse-operated touch-screen system which allows pathologists and surgeons to communicate without ever having to leave the room.

The system can also be linked to video conferencing technology and lecture halls at Stony Brook University for teaching purposes.