Perhaps you're the one on the block with all the newest high-tech gadgets and the knowledge to use them. Or, maybe you're more like me, a bit overwhelmed and befuddled by the technology in your life.

Either way, you'll appreciate the new Lakeside Hospital one of the first paperless hospitals in the nation; a prototype hospital of the future. Alegent Health recently announced it will invest $150 million in medical and information technology over the next 10 years, some of which was used to create the all-digital, full-service, "smart" hospital at Lakeside.

But more than just bells and whistles, this new medical technology is about improving healthcare and making it safer and more efficient for both doctors and patients.

Here are just a few examples:

• No more long waits for emergency care.  At Lakeside Hospital's Emergency Department, these functions are be handled at bedside using wireless communications.
  
• Patient records are kept electronically and updated every time you visit the doctor or undergo a test or procedure. Even X-rays will be saved digitally in your file.
  
• And how about doing some on-line research during your stay? Patients at Lakeside have on-demand access to the Internet, as well as movies and patient education programs.

Of course, all this technology cannot take the place of hands-on patient care. Alegent Health is committed to healing body, mind and spirit, which means much of what we do at Lakeside will always remain "low-tech"; from creating a home-like atmosphere with natural lighting and fresh flowers to offering massage therapy or spiritual counseling to patients in need.

I'd like to think Lakeside Hospital offers the best of both worlds: traditional medicine that touches lives and high-tech medicine that improves them. So please join me in welcoming this revolution in healthcare. It's a journey all of us, "techies" or not; can gladly take together.