Hospital Has Its Own Computer Doctor
Posted on Friday, July 25th, 2014
James Riggs, Director,
Information Technology
His A+ certification demonstrates his competency
as a computer technician, but Riggs’ education has
gone on a lifetime. “My father, Bob Riggs, is in his
45th year as director of data processing at Mercy
Memorial, Ardmore. He brought in their first computer
system, in the late 1960s. I grew up in their server
room and worked there for seven years before
joining Mercy Health/LoveCounty.” A stint as manager
of Staples’ electronics department while attending
Plainview High School in 2000 taught him how to talk
to customers and end users in “plain language.”
“When I can make operations run smoother and
faster, I feel the reward of helping to meet patients’ needs.”
Information Technology
Mercy Health/Love County provides free public Wi-Fi access for its patients and visitors. This service is brought to you compliments of the hospital and clinic.
With everything in health care going electronic, the use of networks, telecoms, computers, printers, and peripherals is at an all-time high. The Information Technology Department sets them up and keeps them running, even rebuilding machines when possible.
In the five years since IT started, James Riggs, director, has established data links among the hospital, clinic, emergency room, and ambulances, speeding up the exchange of information and subsequent service to patients. Other IT-supported systems include:
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Health information, the system that houses your electronic medical records
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Telephony, the system that puts a landline telephone at your hospital bedside and on the desk of every coworker
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Network, the system that connects with the “outside world” to transport lab and x-ray results and insurance information in a matter of seconds