HIMSS Aligns Davies and Stage 7 Health IT Achievement Programs

Now aligned with HIMSS Analytics™ Stage 6 and Stage 7 awards, the HIMSS® Davies Awards of Excellence rank as the highest level of achievement for EHR excellence that HIMSS offers.  The changes impact the award categories, criteria and the application process.

Since 1994, the HIMSS Nicholas E. Davies Award of Excellence has recognized excellence and value in the implementation of health information technology, specifically the electronic health record. Hospitals and health organizations applying for the HIMSS Enterprise (formerly Organizational) Davies award must achieve Stage 6 or Stage 7 on the EMR Adoption Model, or EMRAM, an evaluation system introduced in 2005 by HIMSS Analytics to track the more than 5,000 hospital in its database on their progress in completing the eight stages to creating a paperless patient record environment.
In addition, all enterprise organizations must substantially demonstrate value and the achievement of meaningful use of the EHR according to criteria from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, including computerized provider order entry for medication use, etc. Being a meaningful user does not guarantee HIMSS Davies Award status.  Visit the HIMSS Web site for up-to-date analysis and information regarding the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
“Since its introduction some 17 years ago, the HIMSS Davies Award program has recognized 77 healthcare organizations in  four categories:  organizational, ambulatory, community health organizations and public health systems,” said Patricia B. Wise, RN, MS, MA COL (USA ret’d), Vice President, Health Information Systems, HIMSS. “Now, to expand the relevancy and reach of our EHR achievement awards, the HIMSS Board of Directors approved in June 2011 the alignment of the HIMSS Davies Award program and HIMSS Analytics Stage 7 recognition, which will offer an even more in-depth analysis of the value of health IT in improving healthcare delivery.”
Other changes to the HIMSS Davies Awards of Excellence program include:
• The streamlined award application process is now open on a rolling basis with applications accepted and affiliated recognition offered, throughout the year.
• Award categories are: HIMSS Enterprise Davies Award (formerly Organizational) and HIMSS Ambulatory Davies Award, including independent practices, community health organizations and enterprise clinics, and HIMSS Public Health Davies Award. The new criteria for the public health award will be released in spring 2012.
• Applicants submit a letter of intent and up to five case studies in two categories.
o All applicants submit two core case studies with one on return on investment and one on clinical value.
o HIMSS Enterprise Davies Award applicants submit three, and HIMSS Ambulatory Davies Award applicants submit two, menu case studies written on topics, such as usability, leadership, health information exchange, etc.
o All case studies will be available in multiple HIMSS educational and online venues.
Applications for the HIMSS Davies Award of Excellence will be accepted beginning on Nov. 1, said Wise.  “We also are asking interested applicants to submit an ‘intent to apply’ form available on the HIMSS website beginning on Oct. 1. This may seem like an extra step, but it really provides guidance for HIMSS and our Davies award committees as we plan for judging and dissemination of the winning case studies.”  Wise also explained winners will be notified in 45 days with the winning case studies then posted on the HIMSS website.
HIMSS Organizational, Ambulatory and Community Health Organization Davies Award winners will be honored at HIMSS12, scheduled for Feb. 21-24, 2012, in Las Vegas, Nev. More information on HIMSS12 is available on the conference website.  HIMSS Davies Public Health Award winners were recognized in Atlanta on Aug. 24, at the Public Health Informatics 2011 Conference, sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Aligning the HIMSS Davies awards with our Stage 6 and Stage 7 recognition provides a tangible synergy to all of us in the health IT industry,” said John P. Hoyt, FACHE, FHIMSS, Executive Vice President, Organizational Services, HIMSS. “With just 1 percent of US, non-governmental hospitals tracked by HIMSS Analytics at Stage 7 on the EMRAM scale, we know these healthcare organizations – as both Stage 7 and HIMSS Davies Award winners – focus on improving quality of care, process performance and patient safety with the best use of health IT, which is the foundations of these award programs.”
Visit the HIMSS website for more information on the HIMSS Davies Awards of Excellence.
About HIMSS Davies Award of Excellence
The HIMSS Nicholas E. Davies Award of Excellence recognizes excellence in the implementation and use of health information technology, specifically electronic health records (EHRs), for healthcare organizations, private practices, public health systems, and community health organizations.  Created by CPRI-HOST in 1994, the first three recipients of the Davies Organizational Award were recognized in 1995.  In 2002, CPRI-HOST merged with HIMSS, and now, HIMSS manages the award program.  The Award honors Dr. Nicholas E. Davies, an Atlanta-based practicing physician, president-elect of the American College of Physicians, and a member of the Institute of Medicine Committee on Improving the Patient Record, who died in 1991 in a plane crash. Visit www.himss.org/davies for more information, including educational resources.

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 healthcare information related to IT processes and environments, products, IS department composition and costs, IS department management metrics, healthcare trends and purchase-related decisions.  HIMSS Analytics delivers high quality products, services and analytical expertise to healthcare delivery organizations, healthcare IT companies, state governments, financial companies, pharmaceutical companies, and consulting firms.  Visit www.himssanalytics.org for more information.

   

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