Print edition: 
Five hospitals, including two in the Wichita area, will be honored this week by the Kansas Hospital Association's Education and Research Foundation for tackling health care challenges.
Newton Medical Center will share the 2009 Thomas R. Sipe Challenge award with Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute.
Via Christi Health is sharing an honorable mention with Hays Medical Center and the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City.
Newton Medical Center's award was for its "Show Me the Money" program to address funding in difficult economic times. The Chanute hospital's award was for its fall-prevention program.
Via Christi's honorable mention was for its ePharmacy program to reduce medication errors.
Tuesday, Via Christi announced that it has signed the first hospital outside of its own health system as a subscriber to ePharmacy.
The program allows medication orders to be reviewed by a licensed Kansas pharmacist even when one isn't on duty at a hospital. Hospitals scan or fax orders to the ePharmacy for review.
After a monthlong test process, Hiawatha Community Hospital started using the ePharmacy system on Nov. 1.
The other two honorable mention awards are for Hays' nursing retention efforts, and KU's Community Health Center Executive Fellowship Program.
The awards will be presented Thursday during the Kansas Hospital Association's annual convention in Wichita.
