Digital technologies are transforming the health care industry. Here in Western New York, Rochester Regional Health is using advances like telemedicine and wearable monitoring devices to bring patients faster and more-convenient access to care. And by securely connecting electronic medical records (EMRs) across providers, we’re integrating care and improving patient outcomes.
Long a national leader in digital transformation, Rochester Regional Health has again been recognized by two major industry organizations for the progress we’ve made in adapting digital tools to make patient care better:
- The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) has re-validated and expanded RRH’s Stage 7 status as an industry leader in EMR implementation.
- The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) has for the fourth year in a row awarded RRH its “Digital Health Most Wired” quality certification.
HIMSS and CareConnect
HIMSS is the globally recognized health technology organization whose eight-stage scoreboard (Stages 0 to 7) evaluates hospitals on their EMR adoption and utilization. In 2017, HIMSS awarded RRH hospitals Stage 7 status—the highest level achievable—for its CareConnect system based on the Epic EMR platform. HIMSS even featured RRH as a best-practice success story.
In October 2021, RRH successfully received Stage 7 revalidation for Rochester General Hospital, Unity Hospital, Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic, and Newark-Wayne Community Hospital—furthermore, Unity Specialty Hospital and United Memorial Medical Center earned their first Stage 7 designations.
This Stage 7 honor across the majority of RRH hospitals reflects a collaborative commitment to optimizing CareConnect throughout the integrated health care delivery system. Electronic workflows support the seamless transition of patients across the continuum of care, while powerful analytic tools protect information security and patient safety. The results include greater operational efficiency, better care outcomes—and a more satisfying patient experience.
“Our CareConnect EMR helps to make us a truly integrated and patient-centric health care system,” said John Glynn, Chief Information Officer of Rochester Regional Health. “What’s more, we are constantly advancing our EMR capabilities with best-practice clinical and monitoring tools to improve the quality and safety of patient care.”
CHIME “Most Wired”
CHIME grants “Most Wired” recognition to the nation’s top drivers of digital health care innovation. In 2021, CHIME surveyed more than 36,000 facilities with a “Digital Health Check” assessing philosophies, programs, processes, and outcomes. Participants achieving Levels 7 or more out of a possible 10 earned certification as high achievers.
As it has every year since 2018, RRH has been named a Level 8 organization for Acute and Ambulatory Care. And for the first time, RRH achieved Level 9 status in Long Term Care.
RRH was the only health system in Western New York to be certified as a high achiever, a sign of how focused it is on using the latest tools, such as telehealth, to make it easier for patients to get high-quality care.
“CHIME recognizes that RRH is deeply committed to digital health transformation, in raising the bar to drive continuous improvement through innovation,” Glynn said.
RRH Industry Leadership
Reflecting RRH’s culture of innovation, these prestigious CHIME and HIMSS designations confirm the health system’s status as a national leader in digital transformation.
“RRH belongs to an elite class of health care organizations nationwide,” Glynn said. “Our culture of collaboration is committed to a future of purposeful innovation.”
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