Intermountain Health recently received The Davies Award of Excellence from the Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS), recognizing their outstanding use of information technology in hospitals and outpatient centers. This award is the highest global recognition in the field and is given to healthcare organizations that improve clinical outcomes and contribute to community health and wellness. HIMSS evaluates how healthcare groups use electronic medical record data to enhance patient outcomes.
Dr. Farukh Usmani, the medical director of digital technology services at Intermountain Health, expressed his excitement about receiving this prestigious award. He commended the team’s teamwork, leadership, collaboration, and utilization of informatics and information technology to achieve this accomplishment. Comparing the achievement to winning the Superbowl, Dr. Usmani emphasized the significance of the award in the healthcare IT industry.
Intermountain Health focused its efforts on improving care for patients with chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pain management. COPD is a group of lung conditions that obstruct airflow, causing difficulties in breathing. It is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Intermountain Health conducted a study that found a high readmission rate of 18.2% for COPD patients within 30 days. To address this issue, the organization developed a COPD playbook to guide medical professionals in providing better care for these patients.
Additionally, Intermountain Health collaborated with MDClone to establish Intermountain Health Kidney Services. This initiative aims to improve care for the over 37 million Americans living with kidney disease. By using data analysis enhanced by artificial intelligence, the organization identifies individuals at risk for chronic kidney disease, provides appropriate treatment options, and reduces hospitalizations.
Operational between 2017 and 2021, Intermountain Health successfully performed over 1.5 million surgical procedures. Surgery often leads to opioid prescriptions, which can result in dependence for some individuals. In response, Intermountain Health focused on reducing opioid prescriptions and educating caregivers. Additionally, the organization implemented pain management techniques and utilized data-driven tools to facilitate sustainable changes in practice. These efforts contributed to the organization’s success in targeting various aspects of opioid reduction.
Craig Richardville, the Chief Information and Digital Officer at Intermountain Health, emphasized their commitment to being a model health system. He highlighted the organization’s goal of providing high-quality care at an affordable cost while leveraging innovation and technology to promote healthy lives. Richardville praised their investments in people, processes, technology, and innovation for the positive impact they have had on the quality of care provided by Intermountain Health.