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To: RAVEL who wrote (17022)	5/15/1998 9:59:00 PM
From: RAVEL	Respond to of 31646

Area hospitals spending big bucks to head off Y2K woes 20:38:06, 15 May 1998 Business First Of Columbus, 05/15/98 The Year 2000 problem may not only be bad for your computer, it could be hazardous to your health. Local hospitals are spending millions of dollars to correct potential Year 2000 problems with their medical equipment, most of which use computer chips to monitor and perform functions based on a two-digit date. At the century's turn, the date will read 00. That could cause dialysis and MRI machines, ultrasound imaging devices, infusion pumps and others to shut down. "It's probably safe to say this is a huge potential problem," said Mary Yost, spokeswoman for Columbus-based trade association OHA: The Association for Hospitals and Health Systems. "You probably won't find a hospital out there that hasn't seen something about this issue to get their attention." At Ohio State University Medical Center, additional medical and technical staff will be on hand Dec. 31, 1999, to ensure that any problems are corrected. "We won't be going to any New Year's Eve parties," said Richard Davis, OSU administrative director. OSU will spend about $2 million to make sure its more than 3,500 medical devices are Year 2000 compliant. OSU isn't the only hospital facing the challenge. Several other area health systems began tackling the problem last year by forming internal groups to deal with the problem. Most are taking a three-pronged approach: - Identify devices that need attention. - Communicate concerns to the supplier. - Test fixed devices to make sure they are operating properly. Hospitals such as OSU usually have to foot the bill to correct Year 2000 problems. OSU, for example, will have to spend about $100,000 just to make its bedside monitors compliant. Officials are finding that equipment purchased as recently as a year ago isn't compliant. "Somebody wasn't thinking," Davis said. For Mount Carmel Health System, preparation costs could reach as high as $5 million. "We've used this as an opportunity to upgrade a lot of our systems," said George Chessum, senior vice president and chief information officer for Mount Carmel. "What we are doing now is working with vendors to correct the problem." Chessum said another concern is that vendors won't be prepared for Year 2000. Grant/Riverside Methodist Hospitals is dealing with more than 120 different computer applications and 19,000 devices. Tom Eckfeld, project director for the OhioHealth's Year 2000 initiative, is working with vendors and attorneys to make sure every medical device and computer system has a smooth transition into the next century. "It's taken us two years to really get educated on the problem, we've never done this before," said Frank Magrath, vice president and chief information officer at OhioHealth. The hospitals don't expect problems, but the risk of patient liability has them documenting every step to protect themselves in the event of an error. "We need to cover our rear ends," Magrath said. (Copyright 1998)