Once the clock strikes midnight, technicians will burst into action to prod, poke and test the computer system, to make sure it still works properly. They'll use fake patient names to simulate real functions. The state's largest hospital said it doesn't expect any problems, since it has been examining, reexamining, and testing every piece of equipment. Nevertheless, hospital officials say they don't want to take any chances. Transactions include orders for patient blood tests, x-rays or prescriptions.
Doctors request such tests and get their results via computer.
While the system is inaccessible, the staff will be able to carry out these types of procedures using other forms of communication. They'll physically carry orders to other floors and departments, or even use fax machines to transmit them elsewhere in the hospital, Cotter said. The hospital has also prepared for any possible disruption to its electricity supply. Officials want to avoid anything close to what happened on the night of Sept. 17, when a tropical storm and some mechanical problems left the hospital without power for nearly two hours. The hospital's main source of power is its own on-site plant, which generates enough electricity to run the hospital and its 30 buildings.