GHS recognized for Electronic Medical Record Technologies

Greenville Health System (GHS) has been validated as a HIMSS Analytics Stage 7 organization. HIMSS Analytics tracks the adoption of electronic medical record (EMR) technologies in both the inpatient and outpatient setting. Organizations like GHS work to complete multiple stages with the ultimate goal of achieving Stage 7, a near paperless environment that harnesses technology to support optimized patient care. Only 5.3% of U.S. hospitals have achieved Stage 7, and GHS has the first acute care facilities in South Carolina to attain the status. “Achieving HIMSS Stage 7 is important to both our patients and our organization. Those that have attained HIMSS Stage 7 have been successful at not only improving patient outcomes but reducing medical errors. They have also experienced significant savings in terms of costs, time and resources,” said Rich Rogers, vice president of information services and chief information officer at GHS. “I am proud of the GHS team and all of the work that went into making this validation possible. We are committed to transforming health care and will continue to seek out new and innovative ways to improve quality of care and patient safety using information technology.” GHS underwent a HIMSS Stage 7 site survey in September. The survey focused on five key areas: computer physician order entry and decision support; physician documentation; barcoded medication administration; patient portal capabilities; and population health capabilities. “GHS has achieved a level of consistency of use that is rare among integrated delivery systems. This is indicative of a strong sense of urgency and effective leadership to get everyone on board in using the EMR. All of this has been accomplished in a few short years. Additionally, GHS has effectively used EMR tools to begin making significant progress in dealing with health status issues that are particularity endemic to their market such as diabetes and obesity,” said John Hoyt, Stage 7 revalidation lead for HIMSS Analytics. An example of how this technology helps physicians is exemplified when treating patients diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetic patients should have an annual eye exam. Physicians can look for the patient’s eye exam results electronically during the visit and if an exam has not been performed, the physician can emphasize the importance of the appointment.