Two Hospitals Achieve Recognition for EMR Adoption

HIMSS Analytics, a division of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), has announced that Emory-Adventist Hospital, located in Smyrna, Ga., has received the acute care Stage 7 award, and that Mount Sinai Queens in Astoria, N.Y. has reached Stage 6 status on the HIMSS Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM).

HIMSS Analytics developed the EMR Adoption Model in 2005 as a methodology for evaluating the progress and impact of electronic medical record systems for hospitals in the HIMSS Analytics Database. There are eight stages (0-7) that measure a hospital’s implementation and utilization of information technology applications. The final stage, Stage 7, represents an advanced patient record environment.

Emory-Adventist Hospital is operated by Adventist Health System as a joint venture with Emory Healthcare.  It is the fourth hospital in the Adventist Health System to receive the Stage 7 award. “Patient safety is Emory-Adventist Hospital’s highest priority,” said Dennis Kiley, president and CEO of Emory-Adventist Hospital, in a statement. “This designation affirms that we are fully using information technology to protect our patients through our use of electronic medical records.”

The HIMSS Analytics Stage 6 designation comes soon after the rollout of the Epic electronic medical record (EMR) at Mount Sinai Queens was completed in April, the second major phase of Mount Sinai’s $120 million EMR rollout.  Stage 6 institutions have established clear goals for improving safety, minimizing errors, and prioritizing IT implementations, according to HIMSS Analytics.

"Gaining Level 6 HIMSS designation is not only a prestigious achievement for Mount Sinai Queens, but the clearest sign of our commitment to improving patient experience and outcomes through full implementation of electronic medical records,” Kumar Chatani, chief technology officer of The Mount Sinai Medical Center, said in a statement.