Mackenzie Health has been recognized by HIMSS Analytics for achieving Stage 6 on the HIMSS Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Adoption Model (EMRAM).
HIMSS EMRAM is an international benchmark for the use of advanced Information Technology (IT) to improve patient care. Mackenzie Health is the first Canadian hospital with a full-suite Epic EMR and one of four Ontario community hospitals to have achieved this designation to date, according to HIMSS Analytics.
The Stage 6 designation recognizes Mackenzie Health’s leadership in being the first hospital in Canada to implement the Epic End-to-End EMR. The state-of-the-art clinical information system provides an integrated medical record that makes it possible for the care team to spend more time with patients, provide physicians with exactly what they need to make important health care decisions quicker and empower patients with easy access to their health records. The implementation was one of the largest transformational projects in Mackenzie Health’s history.
HIMSS states that its "Stage 6" designation indicates that a hospital has made significant executive commitments and investments to reach this stage; fully automated medical records implemented across all inpatient and outpatient care settings; is starting to evaluate data for care delivery process improvements and documenting significant improvements in this area; has begun to create strategic alignments with medical staff to effectively utilize information technology to improve the patient safety environment and is well positioned to provide data to key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, physicians and patients, to support electronic health record environments and health information exchanges.
“We are extremely proud of our entire team’s pioneering efforts to be the first Canadian hospital with a full-suite Epic EMR to reach EMRAM Stage 6. This designation is a testament to Mackenzie Health’s commitment to creating a world-class health experience and sets a new standard for how care is delivered in our community and at the health system level,” Richard Tam, executive vice president and chief administrative officer, Mackenzie Health, said in a statement.
“This important designation reflects our entire organization’s mission to relentlessly improve care to create healthier communities and our commitment to the highest level of patient safety in our electronic medical record adoption. Through focused, strategic leadership and sustained efforts from our team, Mackenzie Health took a step forward to help deliver excellent quality care to every patient, every time through state-of-the-art technology systems,” Diane Salois-Swallow, chief information officer, Mackenzie Health, said in a prepared statement.
Across North America, HIMSS tracks more than 5,400 hospitals on its Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM) and, following a rigorous review process, grades hospitals on their application of electronic medical records. While approximately 32 percent of hospitals have received Stage 6 designation in the United States of America, only 1 percent of Canadian hospitals have achieved this level of functionality in their EMR (Q2 2017 data).
