HIMSS Analytics honors Community Health Network ambulatory care with Stage 6 recognition

Indianapolis – HIMSS Analytics announced Community Health Network ambulatory care has achieved Stage 6 on the EMR Adoption Model℠ (EMRAM). Community’s Stage 6 achievement encompasses 198 sites of care and 493 physicians.

HIMSS Analytics developed the Ambulatory EMR Adoption Model in 2012 as a methodology for evaluating the progress and impact of electronic medical record systems for ambulatory facilities in the HIMSS Analytics® LOGIC™. Tracking their progress in completing eight stages (0-7), ambulatory sites 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.

“It is an honor for our ambulatory care vertical to be recognized as a system that has reached HIMSS Stage 6,” said Ron Thieme, chief knowledge and information officer at Community Health Network. “This achievement further underscores Community’s commitment to a strong information technology platform for the benefit of all who entrust us with their care.”

Stage 6 ambulatory facilities are identified by attributes, including:

• Almost fully automated/paperless medical records when they have implemented their IT applications across most of the outpatient care settings.
• Are either starting to evaluate their data for care delivery process improvements or have already documented significant improvements in this area.
• Have made investments that are within reach of most clinics and recognize the strategic value of improving patient care with the EMR.
• Have begun to create strategic alignments with their medical staff to effectively utilize information technology to improve patient engagement and population health
• 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.

Stage 6 organizations also 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.

“HIMSS Analytics congratulates Community Health Network for making significant progress towards achieving advanced health IT adoption,” said John H. Daniels, CNM, FACHE, FHIMSS, CPHIMS, Global Vice President, HIMSS Analytics. “Stage 6 represents a level of sophistication that can lead to innovative healthcare transformation.”

About HIMSS Analytics
HIMSS Analytics is a global healthcare advisor, providing guidance and market intelligence solutions that move the industry forward with insight to enable better health through the use of IT. As a trusted healthcare research and advisory firm, the industry depends on HIMSS Analytics’ resources, benchmarks, predictive models and assessment tools to improve decision making regarding their IT strategic roadmap and market strategy. HIMSS Analytics is uniquely positioned and differentiated through its industry focused offerings which include its Healthcare IT market intelligence tool, Healthcare IT insights and Healthcare IT benchmarks and services. The LOGIC market intelligence tool has the largest technology data set with unmatched breadth and depth needed for guiding healthcare IT strategies. HIMSS Analytics research and advisory consultants uncover unique insights on how to optimally use IT to tackle today’s healthcare challenges faced by both healthcare delivery organizations and IT companies. Its EMR Adoption Model (EMRAM) provides a strategic roadmap and guidance along an 8-stage model with comparisons to healthcare organizations in the same country and around the world.

HIMSS Analytics, a wholly owned subsidiary of HIMSS, is the healthcare research and advisory firm for healthcare delivery organizations, IT companies, governmental entities, and financial, pharmaceutical, consulting and emerging technology solution partners worldwide. Learn more at himssanalytics.org.

About Community Health Network
Ranked among the nation’s most integrated healthcare systems, Community Health Network is Central Indiana’s leader in providing convenient access to exceptional healthcare services, where and when patients need them—in hospitals, health pavilions and doctor’s offices, as well as workplaces, schools and homes. As a non-profit health system with over 200 sites of care and affiliates throughout Central Indiana, Community’s full continuum of care integrates hundreds of physicians, specialty and acute care hospitals, surgery centers, home care services, MedChecks, behavioral health and employer health services. To learn more, visit eCommunity.com or call 800-777-7775.