By Daniela Chueke
The Mobile Center for Medical Specialties in Mar del Plata promises to become an admirable model for the implementation of technology. The reason? The level of pre-planning that allowed it to open with the majority of the necessary technology already implemented and in service. Germán Giles, the director general for Medical Technology of the Municipality of General Pueyrredón, based in CEMA, had the role of planning, choosing and coordinating the set up of all the medical and computer equipment used by CEMA and the seven Primary Healthcare Centers (CAPS) which provide 24 hour care.
Together with the undersecretary for IT and Telecommunications, Eng. Renato Rosello, Giles designed the implementation of the IT based on information nuclei that ensured interoperability between different systems (HIS, RIS, LIS, PACS) ensuring that it has the capacity to grow across different systems quickly in the future.
Equipment
The center has one of the most important digitalization, management and medical imaging storage systems in Latin America provided by the company Agfa and a single Cardiopulmonary computer platform where ECG, MAPA, Holter, Spirometry and Ergometry exams are carried out and reported on, installed by the Schiller firm through its distributor Conmil.
The HIS was developed by the Universidad Tecnológica Nacional Regional Delta and all the other computer systems are part of it so that the data generated by the equipment will be recorded in the Electronic Health Record.
Furthermore, the center has the first robotic arm in the country for the management of laboratory tubes, made by Siemens.
For their part, the CAPS have an advanced Radiology service that ties in digitally with CEMA so that the exams can be sent to specialists.
At the Center, the population is provided with secondary care between the CAPS and the public hospitals in the area and, like the entire Municipal Healthcare System, provides patients with free care and only charges Health Insurance companies if the patient has a plan.
CEMA’s objective is to “provide the Municipal Healthcare System with a tool that aims at prevention and early diagnosis of diseases with highly technological, top quality care supported by renowned healthcare professionals,” stated Giles who also noted that it was the support and work of the municipal Mayor Gustavo Pulti, the Health Secretary Dr. Alejandro Ferro and the Undersecretary for Health Dr. Alejandro Cristaldi who made it possible.
Finally Giles stated: “We are on the way to being able to share information from tests and consults freely between healthcare facilities, optimizing resources and improving medical diagnosis.”
This model will be replicated in other areas of the country, stated the National Health Ministry.
More information: Mardelplata.gob.ar
