Fourteen Texas Health Resources locations have been revalidated at EMRAM Stage 7, the highest level that can be achieved on the HIMSS Analytics EMR Adoption Model.
The model, adopted in 2005, is a methodology for evaluating the progress and impact of electronic medical record systems for hospitals in the HIMSS Analytics Logic platform.
Novant Health in March became the first to revalidate its HIMSS Stage 7 Award for EHR use.
“Texas Health has made great progress over the past three years,” HIMSS Analytics Global Vice President John Daniels said in a statement. “They have successfully implemented smart pumps across all 14 hospitals, they use advanced analytics to convert acuity and census data into optimized nurse staffing levels, and have placed emergency department tracking monitors in the lab that help optimize operations and staffing. “
[Also: Buyers Guide: What to look for when picking a population health platform]
Daniels noted that the initiatives were made possible by Texas Health’s innovative use of its IT investments.
Texas Health’s senior vice president and CIO Joey Sudomir traces the start of the continuing quest to improve back 10 years when the system implemented iEHR at Texas Health. Texas Health is an Epic shop.
“We take great pride in our ability to effectively insert the EHR into clinical activity as a way to enhance our clinicians’ ability to deliver quality patient care, rather than impede it,” Sudomir said.
Chief Nursing Officer Raymond Kelly added that Texas Health is also using performance improvement activities to find new and innovative ways of tapping technologies for patient safety and, ultimately, better clinical outcomes.
“We find real value in the power of our EHR to improve patient care and quality, through efficiencies in process including: medical device integration; barcode scanning of medications and specimens; clinical decision support rules and alerts; and access to information through robust dashboards,” Kelly said.
Texas Health and other EMRAM hospitals will be recognized at the 2017 HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition on Feb. 19-23, 2017, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.
Twitter: @Bernie_HITN
Email the writer: bernie.monegain@himssmedia.com