Healthcare IT departments spend a lot of time synchronizing technology for their peers, but winning a Healthcare IT News “Best Hospital IT Departments" Award means that IT staff are also proficient at synchronizing themselves. The folks at Sumner Regional Medical Center in Gallatin, Tenn., take pride in doing just that.

“We serve the people who serve the patients,” says Vickie Carter, director of information systems. “They are our highest priority. In order to accomplish this, we need to have a group of people with the same work ethic and values.

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“We are humble servants, not people who think they know everything about technology,” she adds. “We have technical ability and are also able to get along with others well.”

When a call comes in to the help desk, the team mobilizes immediately, says Karen Troutman, network implementation manager.

“Our customers trust that we will respond quickly, and we do everything to deliver on that promise,” she says. “Our first concern is to get everything up and running as quickly as possible.”

Accessibility is another paramount concern for the IT staff. While  department hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, someone is on call at all times to handle urgent situations. If necessary, the entire team will show up, says Ginger Patterson, clinical systems analyst.

“Everyone is committed to doing whatever it takes to provide great services,” she says. “This is the best place I’ve ever worked.”

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