EJGH Named National Leader in Electronic Medical Records

Earns Stage 6 designation from HIMSS

Metairie, LA – East Jefferson General Hospital has been recognized as a national leader in the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Adoption Model by HIMSS Analytics after earning Stage 6 distinction. Fewer than seven percent of the 5,300 United States hospitals have achieved Stage 6 capabilities. This represents a significant advancement in patient safety, treatment protocols, and the ability to effectively store and manage patient data.

“Being a leader in electronic medical record adoption indicates that EJGH is committed to being on the forefront of care,” says Mark J. Peters, MD, EJGH President, and CEO. “We are one of the first in the country to dedicate the resources needed to get to this point and understand that EMRs are the future of healthcare. While we are proud to have reached Stage 6, our dedicated physicians and team members are focused on advancing our abilities even further as we progress to full implementation.”

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 electronic patient record environment.

According to HIMSS Analytics Stage 6 Hospitals:

• Appear to have a significant advantage over competitors for patient safety, clinician support, clinician recruitment, and competitive marketing for both consumers and nurse recruitment.
• Have almost fully automated/paperless medical records when they have implemented their IT applications across most of the inpatient care settings.
• Are well positioned to provide data to key stakeholders, such as payers, the government, physicians, consumers, and employers, to support electronic health record environments and health information exchanges.
• Have achieved a significant advancement in their IT capabilities that positions them to successfully address many of the current industry transformations, such as meaningful use criteria in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, claims attachments for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, pay for performance, and government quality reporting programs.

EJGH began its EMR adoption in 2004 as a way to improve patient safety and quality and to meet anticipated federal guidelines regarding the use of electronic medical records. There have been significant technology and programming investments that involved a collaborative effort from experts in Information Technologies, medical staff leadership, and clinical specialists from every area of the hospital. These efforts have resulted in improved patient care, a more effective way of tracking the progress of patients, and an integrated medical system that allows for greater sharing of data between clinical teams.

ABOUT HIMSS

HIMSS Analytics is a wholly-owned, not-for-profit subsidiary of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). The HIMSS Analytics Database was originally derived from the Dorenfest IHDS+ Database™ in July 2004. The database is now known as the HIMSS Analytics® Database.