• Press Release

Mount Sinai Queens Is Ranked In Top 10 Percent of Hospitals In the U.S. for Adoption of Electronic Medical Records

The Hospital has been recognized by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society for reaching "Stage 6" status.

  • Queens, NY
  • (June 24, 2013)

Mount Sinai Queens has been recognized by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, or HIMSS, for reaching "Stage 6" status on the HIMSS Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model℠ (EMRAM), making it one of only 518 of the more than 5,300 U.S. hospitals tracked by HIMSS Analytics and who have reached that status. HIMSS Analytics, a wholly owned not-for-profit subsidiary of the HIMSS, collects and analyzes healthcare data related to IT processes and environments, products, IS department composition and costs, IS department management metrics, healthcare trends and purchase-related decisions.

The HIMSS Analytics Stage 6 designation comes soon after the rollout of the Epic Electronic Medical Record (EMR) at Mount Sinai Queens was completed in April, the second major phase of Mount Sinai's $120 million EMR rollout. Mount Sinai had previously received the prestigious Davies Award of Excellence from HIMSS in recognition of its EMR system, citing the use of Epic to reduce Medicare readmissions rates and for other increased hospital quality measures, such as provision of discharge instructions for patients and dispensing antibiotics prior to surgery. In 2012, Mount Sinai was also named to the "Most Connected" list by U.S. News & World Report, as a national medical institution recognized for clinical excellence that is also at the forefront in the use of digital technology.

"We thank HIMSS for recognizing our comprehensive efforts in the implementation of Epic EMR," said Caryn A. Schwab, Executive Director of Mount Sinai Queens. "Our IT and medical staff will continue to work with Mount Sinai leadership towards achieving even greater levels of EMR integration with the single goal of continuing to provide efficient, patient-centered medical care."

"Gaining Level 6 HIMSS designation is not only a prestigious achievement for Mount Sinai Queens, but the clearest sign of our commitment to improving patient experience and outcomes through full implementation of electronic medical records," said Kumar Chatani, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of The Mount Sinai Medical Center.

HIMSS Analytics developed the EMR Adoption Model in 2005 as a methodology for evaluating the progress and impact of electronic medical record systems for hospitals in the HIMSS Analytics™ Database. Hospitals can track and review the implementation and utilization of information technology applications with the intent of reaching Stage 7, which represents an advanced electronic patient record environment.

HIMSS Analytics developed the EMR Adoption Model in 2005 as a methodology for evaluating the progress and impact of electronic medical record systems for hospitals in the HIMSS Analytics™ Database. Hospitals can track and review the implementation and utilization of information technology applications with the intent of reaching Stage 7, which represents an advanced electronic patient record environment. HIMSS states that its "Stage 6" designation indicates that a hospital:

  • Has made significant executive commitments and investments to reach this stage;
  • Appears to have a significant advantage over competitors for patient safety, clinician support, clinician recruitment, and competitive marketing for both consumers and nurse recruitment;
  • Has almost fully automated/paperless medical records when implementing its information technology applications across most of the inpatient care settings;
  • Is either starting to evaluate data for care delivery process improvements or has already documented significant improvements in this area;
  • Has made investments that are within reach of most hospitals and recognizes the strategic value of improving patient care with electronic medical records;
  • Has begun to create strategic alignments with its medical staff to effectively utilize information technology to improve the patient safety environment; and
  • Is well positioned to provide data to key stakeholders, such as payers, the government, physicians, consumers, and employers, to support electronic health record environments and health information exchanges.
  • Stage 6 hospitals also have achieved a significant advancement in their IT capabilities that positions them to successfully address many of the current industry transformations, such as meaningful use criteria in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, claims attachments for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, pay for performance, and government quality reporting programs.

"This distinction honors your organization's accomplishments to implement technology solutions that have the ability to improve patient safety and quality of care," wrote H. Stephen Lieber, President & CEO of HIMSS and Chairman of the Board of HIMSS Analytics, in announcing the award. "Currently, only 518 hospitals in the United States, including yours, carry a Stage 6 designation. Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens is a great example of how a vision can become reality in the world of healthcare information."

About Mount Sinai Queens

Mount Sinai Queens is a 235-bed licensed acute care hospital, providing adult medical and surgical services, with a team of nearly 500 physicians representing close to 40 medical and surgical specialties and sub-specialties. Between the physicians and staff, 35 languages are spoken; just one of the many ways that Mount Sinai Queens responds to the needs of the culturally diverse population of our community. Mount Sinai Queens serves Western Queens and beyond by providing primary and specialty care; occupational, speech and physical therapy; outpatient surgery; cancer care and a range of radiological testing.

Mount Sinai Queens is the first and only community hospital to bear the prestigious Mount Sinai name and is unique in the community because it is not just affiliated with Mount Sinai Manhattan— it is a fully integrated part of The Mount Sinai Hospital, combining medical excellence with the compassionate, caring environment you expect from a community hospital. For more information, visit http://www.mshq.org/.

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About the Mount Sinai Health System

Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with 48,000 employees working across seven hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, more than 600 research and clinical labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time—discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it.

Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes approximately 9,000 primary and specialty care physicians and 11 free-standing joint-venture centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida. Hospitals within the System are consistently ranked by Newsweek’s® “The World’s Best Smart Hospitals, Best in State Hospitals, World Best Hospitals and Best Specialty Hospitals” and by U.S. News & World Report's® “Best Hospitals” and “Best Children’s Hospitals.” The Mount Sinai Hospital is on the U.S. News & World Report® “Best Hospitals” Honor Roll for 2024-2025.

For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.

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