Technology changes landscape of business community

Banker Retta Penrod can remember when tellers used typewriters to complete transactions.

That was only 10 years ago.

"Computers have changed everything" since then, said Penrod, vice president and branch manager of First State Community Bank at 2527 William St. in Cape Girardeau. "We live in an immediate world where we can conduct much of our business electronically. It's hard to keep up with the changes that have occurred in the last decade."

The banking system is just one of the sectors of the area economy whose business models have changed since the turn of the 21st century.

Andrew Bard, owner of Computer 21 with offices in Sikeston, Mo., and Cape Girardeau, said that of all technological advances, the Internet may have had the most significant effect on everyday life in Southeast Missouri.

"People are now using the Internet to download movies instead of going to the theater, they're running all their voice calls across it, consolidating services that used to be the domain of multiple companies." Bard said. "Now, a single company can service it all. Everything has been boiled down to ones and zeros. So regardless of what you're transmitting by voice or video, it's all the same so any information, period, can be transmitted across the Internet."

Effect on health care

Area hospitals have been able to improve treatment through technological advances over the past 10 years.

Highlights for Southeast Missouri Hospital include the addition in 2002 of a radiation therapy system that uses computer-controlled X-ray emitters to attack tumors and its status as the first hospital in the community to implement digital imaging, which allows physicians to securely view radiology studies and reports wherever they have access to a computer.

The hospital announced Feb. 19 a new web-based technology that allows ambulance patients to receive faster treatment for severe heart attacks. Devices allow paramedics to send electrocardiogram results to the hospital's emergency services department while the patient is en route to the hospital.

For Saint Francis Medical Center, noteworthy technological advances include installing a new da Vinci S HD Surgical System, which uses robotic arms to perform certain endoscopic surgeries, bringing enhanced 3-D imaging and precision in the operating room. Spokeswoman Emily Sikes said the technology decreases blood loss, transfusions and the risk of blood infection.

Another recent technological advance is the implementation of a bar-coded administration system that reduces the risk of medication errors by as much as 50 percent. Sikes said Saint Francis is the first hospital in the region to use the system. A hand-held device scans patient wristbands and medications, matching the patient with the correct medication.

Looking ahead

Meanwhile, Cape Girardeau Public Library's renovated location, slated to open in early May, will feature the first expedited material check-in system for any library in the state, said library director Betty Martin.

Each book, CD or DVD will include a radio-frequency identification chip that, when placed in a return bin, will automatically update the library's systems. The system will also sort materials by type and place them on a conveyer belt that will then deposit them in a bin with other materials for reshelving.

Even with the opportunities of technology, there are also drawbacks, said Bard, the Computer 21 owner.

"Now everything is instant," Bard said. "We've taken a society that was already somewhat used to immediate gratification and turned them in to some of the most impatient people on earth. ... From a personal perspective, we now communicate more but interact less. We are becoming less personal."

But not across the board. Penrod, the bank vice president, believes staff will always be needed inside bank offices.

"Whenever you apply for a home loan or give financial information, I don't think people will be comfortable just floating that up in the air," she said. "The technology can change around, but human needs do not."

bblackwell@semissourian.com

388-3628