Center takes advantage of IT to showcase new innovations

There’s a new attraction in Washington: Kaiser Permanente just opened a Center for Total Health. Company officials said the complex will showcase healthcare innovation via state-of-the-art technology. Given its close proximity to the U.S. Capitol, the setting may come in handy for educating members of Congress as well.

The center’s numerous technology applications are hard to miss. Perhaps most obvious are interactive touch-screen walls that let visitors learn more about the concept of total health. Additionally, one of the world’s largest multi-touch video walls — an 80-foot-long mural — encourages visitors to walk more. Additional technology demonstrations highlight recent advances in telemedicine, mobile health applications, medication adherence and delivering care through smartphone technology, tablet computers and home electronics.

Visitors can interact with the tablet, handheld and smartphone devices in areas such as telemedicine and facial recognition. Conferences also can be booked at the center.

The center also has several stations that demonstrate new health technology prototypes (from vendors such as Sprint, GE and Philips) currently being piloted at Kaiser medical centers.

“A major part of Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to total health is sharing best practices and facilitating discussions that will improve the health of our nation,” said Bernard Tyson, president and COO of Kaiser Permanente.

“The center will be the first place that leaders and the general public can go to see the real-world convergence of health, healthcare technology and innovation,” said Philip Fasano, Kaiser Permanente’s CIO. “It is a place where industry and business leaders can fully embrace a vision for total health, see it in action and be able to engage other leaders in how to potentially shape healthcare over the years to come,” he added.