Electronic Health Reporter

Truman Medical Centers of Kansas City, Missouri has been named a 2014 HIMSS Enterprise Davies Award recipient, the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) announced today. Since 1994, the HIMSS Nicholas E. Davies Award of Excellence has recognized outstanding achievement of organizations who have utilized health information technology to substantially improve patient outcomes while achieving return on investment. The Davies Awards program promotes EHR-enabled improvement in patient outcomes through sharing case studies and lessons learned on implementation strategies, workflow design, best practice adherence, and patient engagement.

Davies Enterprise Award recipients are HIMSS EMR Adoption Model Stage 7 and 6 hospitals and healthcare delivery organizations that have demonstrated significant sustainable improvement of patient outcomes through the utilization of electronic health records and information technology while achieving return on investment.

A multifaceted, not-for-profit health system, Truman Medical Centers (TMC) consists of two academic acute care facilities with 600 total beds, more than 50 outpatient clinics, a behavioral health program, the Jackson County health department and a long-term care facility. TMC serves a number of low income, high risk patients that generate some of the highest costs when compared to the general population. TMC is the provider of 11 percent of all uncompensated care within the State of Missouri, at a cost of $130 million.

Using a comprehensive EHR-enabled quality improvement strategy focused on adherence to best practice protocols and heavy technology-enabled patient engagement strategies, Truman Medical Centers have sustained excellent care coordination while maintaining a high level of care delivery that scores well above national benchmarks. TMC’s use of an EHR-enabled automated interpreter requests and streamlined workflow has enabled TMC to provide a more personalized care experience for each unique patient while providing the correct care in the fastest time possible. Best practice adherence and analytical review of clinical decision support best practice protocols have resulted in a significant reduction in the number of episodes of venous thromboembolism and hospital acquired pressure ulcers. These clinical improvements have resulted in cost avoidance of nearly $8 million since implementation. As much of the care delivered by TMC is uncompensated, cost avoidance through clinical improvement is critical for remaining financially sound.

“Truman Medical Centers stands out for their commitment to use health information technology to drive quality improvement,” says Janis Curtis, chair of the HIMSS Davies Enterprise Award Committee and Business Relationship Management Executive at Duke University Health System. “Truman Medical Centers has developed a culture focused on quality improvement, where the EHR is a tool that enables the staff to take action that ultimately results in improved outcomes for the underserved patients of Missouri.  The Davies Committee and HIMSS congratulate the Truman Medical Centers staff for their focus on improving the health of Missouri’s most vulnerable citizens through the effective use of health information technology to support its care delivery processes.”

“TMC’s strategic decision to implement the EHR helped us improve decision-making. We know that our patients have many choices in the Kansas City area from which to get their care. We as hospital leaders have worked to adapt and show value in the decisions we have made to improve our abilities to provide the best and highest quality care possible to our patients,” said TMC President and Chief Executive Officer Charlie Shields. “Being able to identify patient populations earlier in their disease state and work to create interventions is and will be key to the future of healthcare. Because real healthcare takes place outside the hospital and our ability to devote the right resources to the right populations at the right time will improve our health outcomes and improve the overall health of our population and lower costs.”

Truman Medical Centers will be recognized at the 2015 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition, April 12-16 in Chicago Ill.  For more information on applying for the HIMSS Davies Awards of Excellence, visit the HIMSS Davies Award website.  2015 Davies submission cycle will open on Jan. 1, 2015, and close  May 31, 2015.