BayCare Health System Recognized for Achievement in Electronic Medical Record Adoption by Leading Global Organization

CLEARWATER, Fla., Sept. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- BayCare Health System's progress in adopting an electronic medical records (EMR) system was recognized by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), a global organization known for thought leadership on improving health care through information technology (IT). Electronic medical record systems can improve patient care, increase patient safety, enhance medication safety and increase efficiency. 

BayCare Health System reached Stage 6 of 7 in the EMR Adoption Model developed by HIMSS Analytics, a non-profit subsidiary of HIMSS, that collects and analyzes health care data. The adoption model identifies and scores hospitals using an eight-step scale (0-7) that charts the path to a fully paperless environment.  Less than 20 percent of U.S. hospitals and health systems tracked by HIMSS Analytics have reached Stage 6 as they convert to a fully automated/paperless medical records system.  The ten BayCare hospitals recognized join only three others in the Tampa Bay area that have achieved this milestone. 

BayCare Vice President and Chief Information Officer Timothy Thompson commented, "BayCare's IT strategy has been focused on providing a better care environment for our patients through meaningful information.  This recognition by HIMSS validates our leadership position in information technology, not just in Florida but across the U.S. Our achievement enables us to offer health care providers better access to important health information. It also puts relevant information at our patients' fingertips through the MyBayCare.org portal."

Stage 6 hospitals 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; claims attachments for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act; pay for performance; and government quality reporting programs. 

Conversion to an EMR system provides numerous benefits to patients, physicians, clinical and support staff, individual hospitals and health systems. They include:

• Improved patient care through easy access to comprehensive real-time information that enables close collaboration among health care providers and enhanced decision-making.
• Increased patient safety through electronic charting that eliminates handwriting legibility concerns.
• Enhanced medication safety through bar coding to verify patient identification and electronic documentation of the dose and time medications were given.
• Increased efficiency by creating a single patient record that eliminates duplicative information requests by multiple caregivers and reduces the number of phone calls needed.
• Enhances hospitals' stature among physicians and clinical staff and serves as a differentiator in recruiting efforts.

The BayCare facilities recognized for reaching Stage 6 are Mease Countryside, Mease Dunedin, Morton Plant, Morton Plant North Bay, St. Anthony's, St. Joseph's, St. Joseph's Children's, St. Joseph's Hospital-North, St. Joseph's Women's and South Florida Baptist.

About BayCare Health System
BayCare Health System is a leading community-based health system in the Tampa Bay area. Composed of a network of 11 not-for-profit hospitals, outpatient facilities and services such as imaging, lab, behavioral health and home health care, BayCare provides expert medical care throughout a patient's lifetime. With more than 280 access points conveniently located throughout Tampa Bay, BayCare connects patients to a complete range of preventive, diagnostic and treatment services for any health care need. 

BayCare's family of hospitals are: Mease Countryside, Mease Dunedin, Morton Plant, Morton Plant North Bay, St. Anthony's, St. Joseph's, St. Joseph's Children's, St. Joseph's Hospital-North, St. Joseph's Women's, South Florida Baptist and Winter Haven. For more information, visit BayCare on the Web at www.BayCare.org.

About HIMSS Analytics
HIMSS Analytics is a wholly owned not-for-profit subsidiary of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). The company collects and analyzes health care data related to IT processes and environments, products, IS department composition and costs, IS department management metrics, health care trends and purchase-related decisions. HIMSS Analytics delivers high quality data and analytical expertise to health care delivery organizations, health care IT companies, state governments, financial companies, pharmaceutical companies, and consulting firms.  For more information, visit www.himssanalytics.org.

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SOURCE BayCare Health System