Published: Oct. 26, 2018
LANSING, MI – Sparrow has been honored with the highest award given by the nation’s leading Information Technology healthcare organization for its use of IT to improve the quality of Patient care.
Sparrow is only the third Michigan hospital to ever receive the Nicholas E. Davies Award of Excellence, which recognizes outstanding achievement of organizations that have used health information technology to substantially improve Patient outcomes and value. Only about one in 1,000 hospitals nationally win the award every year.
The recognition is given by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), a global, cause-based, not-for-profit organization focused on better health through information and technology.
“We are honored to have earned the Davies Award. All of our information systems initiatives are focused on ensuring the finest possible experiences for Patients, consumers, Physicians, Nurses, and Caregivers in every role,” said Dennis Swan, Sparrow Health System President and CEO.
“We continuously seek to learn, grow, and improve. The Davies Award is a direct reflection of our progress. However, we know that we will always have much more to accomplish for the benefit of the people who rely upon us for safety, quality, service, and value.”
Sparrow received the honor after submitting several real-world examples of how it has used its Electronic Medical Record system and other information technology to improve both care and efficiency. Three case studies were selected for presentation at a HIMSS Davies Committee site visit to Sparrow in September.
In one example, Sparrow addressed the overuse of red blood cell (RBC) and platelet transfusions, which expose Patients to potential harm from overuse and is a finite, expensive resource. Sparrow set up safeguards in its EMR to encourage the ordering of such transfusions only with documented, appropriate indications, while ensuring rapid access to blood products for Patients who are actively bleeding.
The new system led to decreases of 32 percent and 25 percent in transfused red blood cell and platelet units, respectively, from 2013 to 2017. That significantly reduced potential Patient transfusion reactions and saved thousands of hours of staff time.
“Sparrow Health System’s dedication to using evidence-based best practices for RBC and platelet transfusions improved care delivery for both Patients and staff, and led to great financial savings for the organization,” said Jonathan French, CPHIMS, Senior Director of Quality and Value-Based Care at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). “For this, HIMSS is proud to recognize Sparrow as a 2018 Davies Enterprise Award winner.”
Sparrow will be formally recognized at the 2019 HIMSS Global Conference & Exhibition in February.
Sparrow Hospital, Sparrow Clinton Hospital, and Sparrow Ionia Hospital have each achieved HIMSS Stage 7 status for our advanced EMR use, confirming Sparrow’s commitment to the highest levels of Patient safety and quality care. All 62 of Sparrow Health System-owned ambulatory practices also have achieved HIMSS Stage 7 status, the highest level of EMR adoption and use recognized by HIMSS.
Sparrow has made tremendous technological strides in recent years, with the EMR system, MySparrow, MyChart Bedside, and other innovations that have made care more accessible to consumers and improved how we deliver it.
Sparrow’s use of digital data and its EMR system are essential to helping transform care for our Patients. We are committed to remaining a technology leader in healthcare.
Access the MySparrow system to get your test results, message your doctor, and much more.
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