Press Releases: National
April 6, 2009
Kaiser Permanente Honored as Leader in Health Information Technology
HIMSS Analytics awards 12 Kaiser Permanente hospitals for reaching the highest level of electronic medical record implementation
OAKLAND, Calif. – Kaiser Permanente, the nation's leading health care provider and not-for-profit health plan, received multiple honors today from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society for its leadership in the use of health information technology to build a groundbreaking electronic medical record system. HIMSS awarded Kaiser Permanente the first-ever Stage 7 Awards, the highest level of recognition for hospital-based EMR implementation. The awards were presented at the HIMSS 2009 annual conference in Chicago.
Twelve of Kaiser Permanente's hospital facilities received these premier awards because of their groundbreaking EHR implementation efforts, from wired hospitals equipped with electronic records to interactive and online tools for patients.
"We believe the best approach to connected care is a fully linked electronic medical record with care registry support," said George C. Halvorson, chairman and chief executive officer of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals. "These awards are a nice reinforcement of Kaiser Permanente's strategic leadership and commitment to developing best-in-class health information technology that can reinforce our ability to serve as a model for health care in our country."
As the nation seeks innovative solutions for reforming health care and reducing costs, Kaiser Permanente is leading the way in making technology a core tool for patients and providers. Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect™ is the world's largest civilian electronic health record, enabling all of Kaiser Permanente's 14,000-plus physicians to electronically access the medical records of all of Kaiser Permanente's 8.6 million members nationwide.
"These honors illustrate the capabilities of health information technology to dramatically reshape the health care system and improve patient outcomes. We are proud that our hospitals are part of the less than 1 percent of institutions that have achieved Stage 7 capabilities," said Andrew M. Wiesenthal, MD, SM, associate executive director at The Permanente Federation, the national organization of the Permanente Medical Groups working to standardize patient care.
HIMSS Analytics developed the electronic medical record adoption model as a methodology for evaluating the progress and impact of electronic medical record systems for acute care delivery environments. There are a total of eight stages (0-7) on the EMR adoption model with the ultimate goal of reaching Stage 7. With a paperless environment, Stage 7 hospitals are recognized for operating in an environment where clinical data is used for performance improvement and analytics of care delivery.
"The HIMSS awards are dedicated to recognizing medical industry leaders in their use of health information technology," said Mike Davis, executive vice president of HIMSS Analytics. "Kaiser Permanente is among an elite group of health care organizations to complete the HIMSS electronic medical record adoption model. The commitment and leadership of the organization sets the goal for the rest of the industry to follow."
The following Kaiser Permanente hospitals, all of which are located in California, were honored for reaching Stage 7:
- Antioch Medical Center
- Fremont Medical Center
- Hayward Medical Center
- Irvine Medical Center
- Manteca Hospital
- Modesto Medical Center
- Roseville Medical Center
- Sacramento Medical Center
- Santa Rosa Medical Center
- South Sacramento Medical Center
- South San Francisco Medical Center
- Walnut Creek Medical Center
With KP HealthConnect™, virtually all Kaiser Permanente members are routinely treated with an electronic chart in the outpatient setting. Kaiser Permanente's 8.6 million members have access to My Health Manager – Kaiser Permanente's personal health record – where they can manage their health online. My Health Manager empowers patients by providing critical time-saving features, including online appointment scheduling and prescription refills. In addition, users have 24/7 online access to lab test results, eligibility and benefits information, and even their children's immunization records.
Kaiser Permanente not only makes the tools available, it also provides the engagement and education needed to encourage its members to fully utilize these cutting-edge services. New online tools such as single visit activation, e-scheduling, e-prescribing and e-lab results make patient access to online health care both easy and secure. The results of these and other efforts are already evident:
- More than 2.7 million Kaiser Permanente members now have access to secure health information management features, an 11.9 percent increase from the prior year.
- Using My Health Manager, Kaiser Permanente members viewed more than 16 million test results and sent more than 6 million emails to their physicians in 2008 alone.
- The California Department of Insurance reported in May 2008 that Kaiser Permanente, compared to its competitors, has more than four times the percentage of members using its personal health record, My Health Manager.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 8.6 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: www.kp.org/newscenter.