Nemours Alfred I duPont Hospital for Children, a pediatric hospital located in Wilmington, Del., has been recognized by HIMSS Analytics as a Stage 7 patient care organization on both the EMRAM and O-EMRAM (Outpatient Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model).
In February 2011, Nemours received the HIMSS Enterprise Davies Award of Excellence, an award presented to healthcare systems and facilities that effectively use health IT. Now, the 195-bed hospital is being recognized by HIMSS (the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) again.
“Nemours was among the first health systems in the country to make significant investments in our electronic health record capabilities, because we knew it would help our care teams deliver the safest possible care,” Gina Altieri, senior vice president and chief of strategy integration for Nemours Children’s Health System, said in a statement. “This recognition from HIMSS Analytics is a wonderful honor and validation that Nemours’ early leadership places us among a small and elite group within the healthcare field.”
Indeed, only 5 percent of U.S. hospitals have reached this highest level HIMSS designation. HIMSS Analytics developed the EMR Adoption Model in 2005 as a methodology for evaluating the progress and impact of EMR systems for hospitals in the HIMSS Analytics Logic. 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 electronic patient record environment. The Stage 7 distinction points to an organization’s ability to integrate EMR technology successfully into quality care delivery.
A HIMSS release points to a situation in which Nemours’ clinical team leveraged a high-tech hub that allows medical professionals to remotely monitor patients. In one case, a paramedic saw signs of distress in a boy’s vitals and was instantly able to radio into the room. He requested video permissions, observed what was happening and immediately pushed out an alert and the rapid response team was deployed. As it turned out, the paramedics, who monitor inpatients around the clock and also have access to their EHR data, spotted a seizure before the alarms in the room even awoke the boy’s mother.
“Taking care of children is a special responsibility; Nemours Alfred I duPont Hospital for Children is taking that responsibility seriously as demonstrated by their exceptional use of healthcare information technology and re-validation at HIMSS Analytics EMRAM Stage 7,” said James Gaston, senior director, healthcare advisory services group, HIMSS Analytics. “Nemours demonstrated an exceptional use of data-driven decision making with the prolific use of huddle boards showing up to date KPIs and trends for every department from critical care units to environmental services.”
