Fourteen Texas Health Resources (Texas Health) locations have been revalidated with Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Adoption Model Stage 7 recognition, according to an Aug. 31 announcement from HIMSS Analytics.
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 Logic platform. And last year, HIMSS Analytics introduced its revalidation program to ensure the EMR Adoption Model “continues to reflect industry best practices so that Stage 7 organizations reflect the optimal use and sharing of patient data toward improved healthcare quality, safety, and operational efficiencies.” To revalidate, Stage 7 organizations must complete the process in the year between the second year anniversary of the original validation and its expiration.
According to Joey Sudomir, Texas Health’s senior vice president and CIO, the progressive journey began more than 10 years ago with the implementation of EHR at Texas Health. “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. Knowing our hospitals are designated as Stage 7 facilities is an accomplishment we don’t take lightly—it demonstrates our sincere commitment to promote patient safety. We continue to embrace technology, and our revalidation is a perfect example of this.”
Texas Health Resources is one of the largest healthcare delivery systems in the U.S. and the largest in North Texas in terms of patients served. The system's primary service area consists of 16 counties in north central Texas, home to more than 6.8 million people. Texas Health has 24 acute care and short-stay hospitals that are owned, operated, joint-ventured or affiliated with the system.
Indeed, at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford (Texas Health H-E-B), a hospital employee suggested an innovative process to enhance communications between lab and emergency department (ED) staff: use the ED’s tracking monitor in the lab area to help prioritize testing. Originally, the monitor provided a common source of information between nursing staff and lab technicians. With input from ED, medical, clinical, and IT staff members, the hospital installed a tracking board in the lab’s receiving and processing area. The tracking board added efficiency for both lab techs and nurses by reducing the number of phone calls between the two groups, and allowed staff to keep patients well-informed, according to officials.
“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. Our Stage 7 revalidation demonstrates our continuous performance improvement activities, as we strive to find additional ways to use technology to support patient safety and clinical outcomes,” said Raymond Kelly, chief nursing officer for Texas Health H-E-B.
John H. Daniels, global vice president, healthcare advisory services group, HIMSS Analytics, added, ““Texas Health has made great progress over the past three years. 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 lab operations and staffing. All of these initiatives are made possible through Texas Health’s innovative use of their IT investments.”
