EHR Implementation is a Journey, Not a Destination

These institutions are viewed as leaders in the IT world for their ability to not just implement EHR technology, but realize better patient safety, outcomes, and return on investment as a result of the technology. The 2009 Davies Award recipients are

• MultiCare Health System, a four-hospital system in Tacoma, WA, that includes a children's hospital, primary and urgent care clinics, home health, and hospice programs, won the Organizational Davies Award.
• Virginia Women's Center, which is the largest provider of individualized obstetric and gynecologic care in Central VA, with 26 physicians and 12 nurse practitioners at five clinical sites, won the Ambulatory Davies Award.
• The Community Health Davies Award recipients were Urban Health Plan, a network of federally qualified community health centers based in the South Bronx and Queens, and Heart of Texas, a federally qualified health center serving some 90,000 residents of McLennan County, TX. Both organizations serve impoverished communities.
• The Public Health Davies Award went to the Boston Public Health Commission and Denver Public Health, a division within Denver Health and Hospital Authority.

Even though these institutions are all different, they do share one trait—the recognition that adopting EHR technology is a journey to provide better care for their patients not a destination.

The best place for healthcare providers to start on their path to adopting EHR systems is to ensure their board members, C-suite executives, staff members, and physicians truly understand that adopting an EHR system will require continual investment and support. Successfully implementing electronic health record systems is just the beginning.

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