Union Hospital of Cecil County, a community hospital located in Elkton, Maryland, has been recognized by HIMSS Analytics as a Stage 7 hospital on the Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM).
Only 5 percent of U.S. hospitals have reached this highest level HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) 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.
Union Hospital is a 122-bed community hospital and the organization’s efforts to embrace health information and technology systems led to their status as a Stage 7 hospital, according to a HIMSS press release.
“Through the implementation of their electronic medical record (EMR), the organization has added features within the systems to improve safety during medication administration to patients,” HIMSS stated. “By first scanning the patient and then the medication, the features enable staff to prevent administrative error while also accelerating the care process for patients. The new EMR features also makes possible more streamlined communications with external pharmacies to confirm all medication information is up-to-date.”
Additionally, the organization has leveraged their health information exchanges (HIEs) to
• Assist in care planning;
• Provide historical data for case management;
• Enable finding and sharing of information with other facilities;
• Allow for expert consultation to ensure quality care.
“Union Hospital of Cecil County is the only acute care facility in their county. To improve patient care, UHCC leverages their partnership with The Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients (CRISP), the local health information exchange (HIE),” Philip Bradley, regional director of North America, healthcare advisory services group at HIMSS Analytics, said in a statement. “Their collaboration not only allows providers to share data but also delivers population reporting and comparison with others in the area.”
“Achieving HIMSS Analytics Stage 7 recognition highlights Union Hospital’s commitment to ensuring our staff, providers and patients have access to state-of-the- art digital health equipment, while ensuring results are available to providers through innovative use of our health information exchanges,” Bonnie Davies, director, health information services and management at Union Hospital of Cecil County, said in a prepared statement. “One of our biggest accomplishments utilizing health information exchanges is the electronic sharing of results and care alerts with participating providers in Maryland and Delaware real-time, eliminating unnecessary delays waiting for faxes or phone calls.”
