Computers Come to Henry Ford Hospital
The use of computers at Henry Ford Hospital began in the 1960s under Dr. Jack Guyton and administrator Ted Howell. Dr. Guyton championed the use of computers and automated systems to the administration. The timing was ideal because a number of departments were in the midst of being reorganized or developed to meet new standards. In 1957, the hospital insurance department was formed and new regulations were needed for billing. In 1962, the Collection Department was redeveloped to include a computer. The new computer, designed by the National Cash Register Company, brought automation to the financial division. The computer performed payroll computations, wrote and signed checks, verified vendor accounts payable, and produced statements. The hospital's newsletter the Thermonitor, described the new phenomenon, "As if by magic, this remarkable new machine commonly called the computer, (will perform various duties)."
In 1967, a director of data processing was hired to solve initial system problems. The first system used was the IBM Punch Card, and later the NCR 315. By the early 1970s, electronic medical records were begun and evolved into a master patient index in the 1980s. In the 1990s, a formal Information Services department began under Albert A. Sinsi, Jr.
The NRC 315 computer used for early billing at the hospital. From the Conrad R. Lam Collection, Henry Ford Health System.