CHICAGO (November 4, 2013) – HIMSS Analytics announced that St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay, Wis., St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center in Green Bay, Wis., and St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan, Wis., part of Hospital Sisters Health System, received Stage 7 Awards. The award represents attainment of the highest level on the Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM), which is used to track EMR progress at hospitals and health systems.
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. The validation process to confirm a hospital has reached Stage 7 includes a site visit by an executive from HIMSS Analytics and former or current chief information officer and a current or former chief medical information officer to ensure an unbiased evaluation of the Stage 7 environments.
The hospitals will be recognized at the 2014 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition on Feb. 24-26, 2014, in Orlando, Fla. At the beginning of the second fiscal quarter of 2013, 2.1 percent, of the more than 5,400 U.S. hospitals in the HIMSS Analytics Database, have received the HIMSS Analytics Stage 7 Award.
“We are proud of this achievement and the dedication our colleagues put forth to make this possible. This award underlines our dedication to our patients, improving the safety of the care we provide and improving the productivity of our staff. It also highlights the dedication of our staff at all three hospitals to our mission and values, and to differentiating our hospitals from others in the nation,” said Shane Miller, chief information officer, HSHS division, Eastern Wisconsin.
St. Vincent Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center have been delivering quality health care to Green Bay and its surrounding communities since 1888. With St. Vincent being the largest specialized tertiary care hospital and St. Mary’s location on Green Bay’s west side, patients from Northeastern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan benefit from a comprehensive range of services that include cancer care, women’s services, emergency and trauma care, preventive care across the lifespan, digestive health, orthopedic, cardiac care, neurosciences, rehabilitation and pediatrics. Both hospitals have been named one of the “100 Top Hospitals” nationwide and are accredited by the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. St. Nicholas Hospital is a non-profit hospital sponsored by the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis.
“The Hospital Sisters Health System has a very strong EHR implementation that is used as a tool to reinforce cultural transformation. They have created a shining light for their other hospitals to follow, “ said John P. Hoyt, FACHE, FHIMSS, executive vice president, HIMSS Analytics. “They have begun to use the derived data to lead care process improvements and to position themselves to join an existing ACO to extend their market strength.”
Visit the HIMSS Analytics Web site for more information on the Stage 7 Award.