Loma Linda University Health recently achieved Stage 7 status for the electronic medical record adoption model of HIMSS Analytics for both inpatient and outpatient sites. The organization achieved inpatient status in November 2017, and outpatient status on Sept. 25 of this year.
Stage 7 status is considered a rare, elite achievement. Global healthcare advisor HIMSS Analytics says Loma Linda University Health is one of only 43 healthcare organizations in the nation that have achieved Stage 7 status on both the inpatient and outpatient electronic medical record adoption models.
John H. Daniels, global vice president at HIMSS Analytics, said the Stage 7 status validations are good for three years.
“Loma Linda University Health continues to demonstrate its commitment to effectively using health information and technology to transform healthcare in their community,” Daniels said.
Francis Chan, MD, interim chief medical information officer for Loma Linda University Health, said the status is awarded to institutions that advance patient care and operational efficiencies through information technology. “At the end of the site visit, the reviewer summarized their overall impression by stating that it was very clear that we met the criteria for Stage 7,” Chan said.
Mark Zirkelbach, MPA, chief information officer for Loma Linda University Health, said the achievement is the result of a continuous-improvement team effort led by operations and quality.
“We’re delighted to learn of this awesome achievement,” Zirkelbach said. “It is great to see the recognition of the long-standing focus on improving quality supported by automation.”
More information is available on a One Portal page dedicated to Stage 7 status.