HIMSS Analytics Awards Deaconess Health System with Stage 7 EMRAM

The Chicago-based HIMSS Analytics recently awarded the Evansville, Ind.-based Deaconess Health System Stage 7 Award for EMR Adoption Model (EMRAM). This is the highest level of EMRAM, which is used to track EMR progress at hospitals and health systems. The hospital will be recognized at the 2012 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition on Feb. 21-24, 2012, in Las Vegas. As of November, 2011, Deaconess Health System is one of 65, or 1.1 percent, of the more than 5,000 U.S. hospitals in the HIMSS Analytics Database, recognized by HIMSS Analytics with its Stage 7 Award.

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. Tracking their progress in completing eight stages (0-7), hospitals can review the implementation and utilization of information technology applications with the intent of reaching Stage 7, which represents an advanced patient record environment.

The validation process that confirms a hospital has reached Stage 7 includes a site visit conducted by an executive from HIMSS Analytics and former or current chief information officers to ensure an unbiased evaluation of the Stage 7 environments.

Deaconess Health System is located in Evansville, Ind. and serves a population of approximately 850,000 residents in a 25-county region of the Tri-State area of Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. Deaconess covers four hospitals and 19 ambulatory clinics with over 100 employed physicians as well as over a dozen 'Affiliate Physicians' in independent practices. In just over two years, Deaconess made the journey from a paper-based record to a paperless system culminating with its Stage 7 recognition. Being a very 'data-driven' organization, in addition to getting the systems in place, Deaconess has been able to make marked improvements in quality outcomes by using the data from the EHR to change processes and monitor results.