Stellaris Health Network Facilities Achieve Stage 6 Recognition for Reducing Medication Errors, Promoting Physician I.T. Adoption
(2/10/2009)

We are delighted to announce three of the four affiliated hospitals which comprise Stellaris Health Network (Armonk, NY), are among the latest MEDITECH health care facilities to achieve the renowned Stage 6 Electronic Medical Record adoption recognition from HIMSS Analytics. Stage 6 recognizes health care organizations in the United States who have excelled at utilizing information technology in a collaborative effort to ensure patient safety and enhance the quality of care.

“We are honored and pleased three of our hospitals have received this important and prestigious designation," says Arthur A. Nizza, president and CEO of Stellaris Health Network. "By integrating information technology into their daily operations, these hospitals are leading the way in improving the quality of patient care in our region."

The Stage 6 recognition represents the success each Stellaris hospital has had in improving patient safety, reducing medication errors, utilizing the Electronic Medical Record (EMR), and getting physicians on board with electronic ordering.

Lawrence Hospital Center
Given their recent accomplishments, Lawrence discusses their Stage 6 journey and tangible improvements they have noticed in their quality of care. "Our Stage 6 journey was a hospital-wide project which started back in 2004," says Joan Rehill, director of I.T. at Lawrence Hospital Center. "Our goal was to improve our quality of care by accurately recording patient data in an electronic system."

In order to reach their patient care and I.T. goals, Lawrence developed a long-term strategic plan. "We had a five-year plan in place and were successful because we engaged our executives and physicians from the very beginning," says Rehill. "Physician support is key because they are the ones who bring the patients to the hospital." Lawrence credits everyone involved and their constant dedication and teamwork in making the initiative a success.

With emphasis on best practice for the patient, the health care facility has achieved significant improvements in care delivery since becoming a Stage 6 hospital. "We are experiencing reductions in medication errors and are doing so with the help of MEDITECH's Bedside Verification (BV) and electronic Medication Administration Record (eMAR) solutions," says Rehill. "The electronic system coupled with nurse accountability and responsibility has drastically improved our error rates."

For other health care facilities who wish to achieve Stage 6 recognition, Lawrence stresses the importance of a shared vision and constantly advancing forward. "Keep moving forward as a team and don't give yourself a break," says Nick Crimarco, clinical informatics manager at Lawrence Hospital Center. "After each implementation phase was complete, we picked right back up and started our next phase. When you see all the clinical pieces coming together, it's extremely rewarding for the health care organization as a whole."

Striving to do what is best for the patient has allowed Lawrence to reap many benefits as a Stage 6 health care facility. "We are thrilled that all of our employed physicians are now entering 100% of their orders into the system," says Crimarco. "We are extremely pleased to have been so successful in our journey and recognized for our hard work."

Northern Westchester Hospital
Like Lawrence, Northern Westchester has also been able to successfully close the loop on medication processes and safely and efficiently administer the five rights to each patient with the help of MEDITECH's BV solution. "BV has allowed our nurses and respiratory therapists to scan patient ID bracelets and medication information into the system," says Nizza. "If a medication dose is too high, too low, or in the wrong form, an alert appears to warn the nurse and prevent the patient from receiving any harmful doses."

Since implementing BV, Northern Westchester has improved patient care because they have been able to successfully minimize medication errors. "We have been able to ensure patient safety by utilizing MEDITECH's technology solutions," says Nizza. "It's exciting to know we are doing positive things for our patients and getting recognized for all of our ongoing patient safety initiatives and efforts."

White Plains Hospital Center
Dr. Michael Palumbo, director of the hospitalist program at White Plains Hospital Center, credits MEDITECH's integrated Health Care Information System (HCIS) for making Stage 6 a reality. "Integration allows seamless access to a variety of information and ultimately affects quality of care," says Palumbo. "A lot of complexities arise when a patient is in the hospital and as a physician, we need all pertinent patient information at our fingertips."

Since launching Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) and Physician Documentation three years ago, nearly 90% of the affiliated physicians at White Plains have been using the electronic platform to better manage patient care. "We are able to place orders and access our patient records remotely from any location," says Palumbo. "Because of this, we are able to stay on top of patient developments from our homes and offices and prepare for our day."

Like physicians, nurses have also seen the advantages an electronic system provides. "Nurses no longer have to decipher illegible physician orders," says Palumbo. "Hard-to-read handwriting can cause medication mix-ups and other potential errors. With the help of the system, patient care is no longer compromised and clinicians are seeing less errors than before."

Extensive communication on an interdisciplinary level also contributed to White Plain's overall accomplishments as a Stage 6 health care facility. "Each discipline is better informed on a patient's condition because information is legible and accessible across the continuum of care," says Palumbo. "The EMR provides one accurate and centralized location to view real-time patient information, allergies, medications, and results."

Worthy of Recognition
By putting patient care at the forefront, Lawrence, Northern Westchester, and White Plains have each made drastic improvements in their patient care and continue moving forward as leaders in health care I.T. adoption. "We are constantly evolving and working hard to evaluate what our entire organization can do to improve patient safety," says Nizza. "Receiving Stage 6 recognition is exciting and has validated our collaborative efforts and given us the momentum to move even further ahead in our mission to improve patient care."

Please join us in congratulating Lawrence Hospital Center, Northern Westchester Hospital, and White Plains Hospital in their latest Stage 6 achievements.



About Stellaris Health Network
Stellaris Health Network (Armonk, NY), is the region’s leading health care system, dedicated to preserving high quality, community-based care for residents of Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Dutchess, Northern Bronx, and Fairfield Counties. Affiliated hospitals include, Lawrence Hospital Center (Bronxville, NY), Northern Westchester Hospital (Mount Kisco, NY), Phelps Memorial Hospital Center (Sleepy Hollow, NY), and White Plains Hospital Center (White Plains, NY).

In addition to the network of hospitals, Stellaris provides ambulance and municipal paramedic services to Westchester County through Westchester Emergency Medical Services. With over half a billion dollars in combined revenue and 1,100 in-patient beds, Stellaris Hospitals account for over a third of the acute care bed capacity in Westchester County. Based in Armonk, NY, Stellaris is one of the largest area employers, with approximately 5,000 employees and over 2,100 voluntary physicians on staff. The Stellaris Hospitals provide multidisciplinary acute care services as well as a range of community based services such as hospice, home health, behavioral health and physical rehabilitation.

Lawrence Hospital Center, Northern Westchester Hospital, and White Plains Hospital Center each received Stage 6 Electronic Medical Record adoption recognition from HIMSS Analytics.

 

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