Dr. Marjorie Fridkin and Dr. Daniel Buckingham are pictured using GRMC’s new electronic health record system, EPIC. GRMC began using EPIC seven months ago and recently achieved Level 7 certification through HIMSS. According to HIMSS, approximately 350 hospitals in the United States have achieved this level.
Garrett Regional Medical Center (GRMC), the 55-bed hospital located in Oakland that serves patients from eight counties throughout the tri-state region, has attained Level 7 certification through the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), an organization dedicated to improving healthcare quality, safety, cost-effectiveness, and access through best practices in the use of technology.
GRMC moved to a new electronic health record (EHR) system in July of last year, when it became a full partner in the West Virginia University Health System. Since that time, GRMC staff successfully achieved Level 7 certification in its use of EHR in patient care.
Achieving Level 7 in the use of electronic health record systems is very difficult to do. According to HIMSS, approximately 350 hospitals in the United States have achieved Level 7 certification. To reach this level, a hospital must compile data consistently reflecting measures including clinical outcomes, patient engagement, and clinician use of electronic health record technology in effecting patient care.
“To reach this stage in the use of electronic medical records in patient care is amazing,” noted Rebecca Mitchell Perry, Chief Nursing Information Officer at WVU Medicine. “Garrett Regional Medical Center only began using EPIC, their new EHR system, seven months ago. Getting to this level of proficiency and expertise in that period is unheard of, and should be lauded. A commitment to quality and providing the best in patient care is clearly what drives the staff at GRMC.”
GRMC joins 12 other hospitals in the West Virginia University Health System that have achieved Level 7 certification. This achievement enables hospitals to more thoroughly address quality initiatives such as reducing patient risk, reducing wait times for care, streamlining communication, and achieving better and more organized data governance.
“What this certification means for patients is they will receive the highest quality care at GRMC, whether as an inpatient, in our ED, or our outpatient departments,” stated Mark Boucot, CEO at GRMC and Potomac Valley Hospital in Keyser. “The ability of the care team to share important patient data with each other, such as test results or information about prescribed medication, is greatly enhanced at HIMSS Level 7. It really enables our staff to provide patient care at an enhanced level. I’m very proud of our team for reaching this milestone so quickly while using a new electronic health record system. Our mission states that we strive to treat patients like family; that really is who we are.”
