Computer funding sought by UMC

The County Commission was to decide today whether to approve funding to upgrade University Medical Center's aging computer systems.

The hospital administration wants Clark County to spend $194,000 to replace the pharmacy's computer software and hardware to make it comply with Year 2000 requirements. It also wants $78,000 annually for servicing.

UMC is the county hospital, and the County Commission acts as its board of trustees.

The hospital is also seeking approval from the commission for $22,780 to hire Cerner Corp. of Irvine, Calif., to evaluate whether a new laboratory information system should be purchased.

Jacqueline Taylor, chief executive officer at UMC, said the laboratory information system is important because it distributes information to all the nursing units.

The hospital expects to complete testing of the information system within three months and shortly thereafter decide whether to purchase it.

Administrators were to ask the commissioners today to approve the purchase of four ventilators for its respiratory department at a cost of $117,368 and for $88,360 to buy five neonatal unit ventilators.

The hospital had been renting three of the adult ventilators at a cost of $2,100 a month and the neonatal units for $3,000 a month.

Taylor said the purchases have been planned as part of the capital improvements for some time.

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