TMC Achieves Stage Six Designation of Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model
KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Hospitals face many challenges today, including patient safety, quality of care, economic pressures and regulation requirements. Yet, with the implementation and achievement of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM), the majority of issues hospitals face can be minimized.
Truman Medical Centers (TMC) are the first and second hospitals in Kansas City, the 10th (and 11th) in the State of Missouri to achieve the Stage Six designation of the HIMSS Analytics EMRAM. Of the more than 5,000 hospitals tracked by HIMSS Analytics, to date just over two and a half percent of facilities have reached Stage Six in the EMRAM.
Stage Six honors TMC’s accomplishments in implementing important technology that improves patient safety and quality of care and is awarded to hospitals that have shown exemplary Information Technology (IT) capabilities.
“This designation is another step in the right direction for TMC to provide the best care for our patients and our community,” said John W. Bluford, TMC President and CEO. “Implementing an effective electronic medical record requires a great deal of teamwork throughout our organization, reflecting our dedication to providing top quality care and state-of-the-art technology for our patients. The ultimate benefit is the knowledge that we are measurably increasing patient safety and care.”
Overall, through the use of an electronic medical record system TMC will see significant improvements in caring for their patients.
- The use of computers will help reduce medical errors by eliminating handwritten orders and patient medication prescriptions.
- Alert systems let medical professionals know about potential issues such as a patient allergy or medication interaction.
- Provides healthcare professionals with the most accurate and up-to-date patient medical information that can also be accessed by multiple providers at once (i.e., a pharmacist, physical therapist and physician).
- Medical providers and ultimately patients will have faster access to medical tests such as laboratory and radiology imaging results.
- Allows for better tracking of patient safety and quality outcome measurements
How did TMC reach this important milestone in such a short period of time?
- Cerner Corporation and TMC expanded their partnership in early 2009 with an aggressive 18-month goal of implementing a full electronic medical record including Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE), e-prescribing and a closed loop medication process.
- Within about 18 months, TMC has implemented CPOE with a 90 percent adoption rate across the organization, including the ambulatory, perioperative and emergency departments.
- Just two months after implementing Cerner® solutions, TMC has seen more than 90 percent of all medications being entered electronically by physicians.
“As a physician, one of the most exciting parts of the electronic medical record system is the improvement in overall patient safety and care,” said TMC Emergency Department physician, Jeffrey Hackman, M.D. “For example, with the new system when a physician enters a patient medication order in the system it is verified by a pharmacist, reviewed by a nurse and then scanned at bedside with a handheld CareMobile® device. This virtually eliminates the potential for error and ensures that it is the right medication for the right patient, with the right dose, at the right time and that it has followed the right route of administration.”
HIMSS has established a seven-stage hierarchy for IT implementation and achievement, resulting in its model. In ascending order, each of the seven stages marks a new IT milestone on a journey toward Stage Seven, which represents a fully electronic medical record implementation being used by a healthcare system. At Stage Seven, caregivers across the continuum of care can share information onsite and remotely, while remaining private.
“By reaching this designation, TMC is at the forefront of the future of healthcare and ahead of the curve in implementing meaningful use requirements contained in the national healthcare reform legislation," said TMC Chief Information Officer Mitzi Cardenas. “This process will help us have a seamless flow of information across our system to help us better care for our patients and provide our physicians and nurses with the most comprehensive view of their medical history.”
About TMC
Truman Medical Centers is a not-for-profit two acute-care hospital health system in Kansas City. The TMC Health System includes TMC Hospital Hill, TMC Lakewood, TMC Behavioral Health, the Jackson County Health Department and a number of primary care practices throughout Eastern Jackson County. Recently named one of the nation’s top academic medical centers, TMC is the primary teaching hospital for the University of Missouri-Kansas City Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and Dentistry and specializes in asthma, bariatrics, diabetes, women’s health, and trauma services. For more information, please call 816-404-3785 or visit at www.trumed.org or on Facebook.
CONTACT:
Truman Medical Centers
Shane Kovac, 816-404-3786
Media Relations Manager
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