HIMSS News
Maimonides Medical Center and Queens Health Network awarded 2002 HIMSS Davies Award
For More Information:
Tarsis Lopez, HIMSS
(312) 915-9237
tlopez@himss.org
For Immediate Release
CHICAGO, IL - September 16, 2002 - Calling their efforts to implement computer-based patient record (CPR) systems "exceptional", the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) announced today that Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY and Queens Health Network (Elmhurst and Queens Hospital Centers) in Queens, NY are winners of the 2002 Nicholas E. Davies award.
"We are happy to recognize two organizations that have done an outstanding job implementing electronic medical record systems, and used them to bring value to their patients and staff." said Tom Payne, MD, chair of the 2002 Nicholas E. Davies award committee. "Maimonides Medical Center and Queens Health Network were selected from a record number of Davies award applicants, reflecting increased interest in the CPR and its potential to help healthcare improve quality, safety, and efficiency of care."
Maimonides Medical Center was recognized for implementation of the Maimonides Access Clinical System (MACS), a project that began in 1996. A CPR system designed to improve quality of care, increase patient satisfaction, reduce costs, and position the hospital for future growth, MACS has transformed the delivery of healthcare at the hospital and serves as a model for other large hospitals nationwide. Today, 100% of Maimonides' attending physicians and residents, as well as voluntary and community physicians use MACS for entering orders and reviewing results.
"From the beginning, we viewed our implementation of a CPR system as an invaluable investment in upgrading patient care and safety - not technology," said Stanley Brezenoff, president and CEO of Maimonides Medical Center. "Just as we are proud to be recognized with the Davies award, we are equally gratified our patient outcomes have improved and that our physicians have eagerly adopted the CPR system."
Davies award co-recipient Queens Health Network, a member of the New York City Health & Hospitals Corporation, was recognized for CPR implementation efforts that included physicians in its design and planning from inception. A project started in 1996 and launched the following year, Queen's CPR is an integrated, interdisciplinary patient information system accessed daily at the point-of-care by more than 1600 physicians and clinicians. Continually evolving, Queen's CPR also provides efficiencies in patient care processes and facilitates population-based disease management efforts. Queens' ambulatory care physicians use the CPR system to document about 3,000 patient encounters every day, with inpatient physicians placing orders and reviewing results for thousands more.
"We are honored to receive the distinguished Davies award," said Pete Velez, senior vice president, Queens Health Network. "In partnership with our physicians, we have built a solid foundation that has revolutionized the way medicine is practiced. This would not have been possible without the tireless commitment and staunch dedication of the interdisciplinary staff involved. Their efforts have made CPR a reality."
Previously administered by Bethesda, Md - based CPRI-HOST, the prestigious Nicholas E. Davies award is now presented by HIMSS. CPRI-HOST was incorporated into HIMSS this past summer, creating what is considered by many to be a "comprehensive information resource" on electronic information systems and CPR.
The 2002 HIMSS Davies award winners will be presenting their CPR systems at the Nicholas E. Davies Symposium in San Antonio, Tx on Sunday, November 10. Registration information is available on the HIMSS Web site. The winners will be formally recognized at the 2003 HIMSS Annual Conference and Exhibition Awards Banquet in February 2003.
For more information on the HIMSS Nicholas E. Davies award, contact Tarsis Lopez at (312) 915-9237. To schedule an interview with Maimonides Medical Center, contact Vicki Ciampa at (718) 283-8200 or Ann Sullivan at (718) 283-8187. At Queens Health Network, contact Diane Carr, associate executive director, Healthcare Information Systems, at (718) 334-5970.
About the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS)
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) provides leadership in healthcare for the advancement and management of information technology. Headquartered in Chicago, HIMSS provides services to more than 13,000 members, including IT healthcare corporations, firms and professionals from around the globe. Through the collaboration of 41 chapters and 20 special interest groups, HIMSS directs and shapes the healthcare industry, encourages emerging technology and promotes public policies that will improve healthcare delivery. For more information, visit HIMSS at www.himss.org
About the Nicholas E. Davies Award
Established in 1995, the Nicholas E. Davies award is one of the most prestigious honors in the healthcare information technology (IT) industry. It is named for Nicholas E. Davies, MD, an Atlanta-based physician who is committed to the ideal of improving patient care through better information management. The award recognizes healthcare IT vendors and providers for their successful CPR implementation and information-sharing initiatives.
