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Waypoint honoured with Stage 6 recognition from HIMSS Analytics
Waypoint honoured with Stage 6 recognition from HIMSS Analytics

In July, Waypoint was announced as only the eighth hospital in Ontario to achieve Stage 6 on the Electronic Medical Record Adoption ModelSM (EMRAM) from HIMSS Analytics.

HIMSS Analytics, a division of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, is a global healthcare advisor that developed the EMRAM to evaluate the progress and impact of electronic health record systems for hospitals. Tracking their progress in completing eight stages (0-7), hospitals can review the implementation and utilization of information technology towards reaching the highest level, Stage 7, which represents an advanced electronic patient record environment. 

“In January 2017 our pre-implementation HIMSS EMRAM level was about 0.85,” said Carol Lambie, Waypoint President and CEO. “Achieving level 6 in such a short time is thanks to the hard work and perseverance of our leaders and staff. Using the technology to its fullest is helping to improve patient outcomes, ensure our health care professionals have the most up-to-date and accurate information all in one place, and improve communication among doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and the rest of the care team; all helping us deliver even safer care.”

Waypoint’s goals for an electronic health record include enhancing and standardizing clinical care, developing and implementing evidence-based best practices and advancing research. In 2015, the hospital partnered with Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences in Whitby, Canada’s first HIMSS Stage 7 hospital, on a shared health information system. With their support, along with various planning and implementation teams and all the staff involved, the hospital successfully transitioned to the electronic health record in all its programs between February and May 2017, and has now set a goal to achieve HIMSS Stage 7.

Stage 6 hospitals:

* Have made significant executive commitments and investments to reach this stage.

* Have almost fully automated/paperless health records when they have implemented IT applications across most of the inpatient 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 hospitals and recognize the strategic value of improving patient care with an electronic health record. 

* Have begun to create strategic alignments to effectively utilize information technology to improve the patient safety environment. 

* Are well positioned to provide data to key stakeholders to support electronic health record environments and health information exchanges. 

* And have achieved a significant advancement in their IT capabilities that positions them to successfully address many of the current industry transformations.