Memorial Hermann Health System has been selected as one of the nation’s “Most Wired” for the 11th consecutive year, according to a survey published by the American Hospital Association in this month’s issue of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine (H&HN).
H&HN sponsors the annual Most Wired Survey, which is an industry-standard review designed to measure the level of information technology adoption in hospital and health care systems in the United States. The data from the survey is used to help establish industry-wide benchmarks for IT operational, financial and clinical performance in health care delivery systems.
“Memorial Hermann is proud to be named Most Wired for the 11th consecutive year,” said Memorial Hermann Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Information Officer David Bradshaw. “The Memorial Hermann Information Systems Division is committed to enhancing quality patient-centered care through the innovative application of cutting-edge information technology and systems to our medical and administrative services.”
Memorial Hermann has strategically invested resources into comprehensive programs that have helped integrate services with a focus on patient safety, operational excellence, efficiency and compliance across its system.
“We’re continuing to use rapidly evolving technologies to further advance the automation of services,” said Memorial Hermann Vice President of ISD Applications, Emily Handwerk. “The technologies and systems we have introduced have consistently improved efficiency where they have been applied.”
Memorial Hermann ISD integrated Memorial Hermann Medical Group physician offices into the ClinicCare4 database to enable a convenient transition for patients referred to Memorial Hermann acute-care hospital campuses.
Memorial Hermann’s application of improved technology and information systems continued beyond clinical care, directly working on the patient experience outside of the Memorial Hermann walls. In December, Memorial Hermann joined with patient engagement and payment technology leader Simplee® to launchPayMyBill™. The consumer-friendly service creates a digital hub for coordinated billing, engagement and payment communication across email, paper and interactive voice response to offer a seamless experience on multiple platforms, from desktop to mobile devices.
PayMyBill, the first service of its kind in Texas, joined the existing spectrum of innovative Memorial Hermann patient programs that include ScheduleNow® for easy scheduling of appointments and services across facilities, as well as Virtual Care Check® for improved acute care follow-up.
Memorial Hermann ISD also played a vital role in preparing the Memorial Hermann Health System for ICD-10 (International Statistical Classification of Diseases) readiness well before Oct. 1, 2015, the date when the U.S. Department of Health mandated ICD-10 compliance for all Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) entities.
ICD-10 is a diagnostic coding system used worldwide to classify symptoms, diseases, causes of injury and abnormal medical findings to help track public health conditions, provide data for epidemiological research and measure outcomes for patients. The number of procedural and diagnostic codes in Memorial Hermann System applications will increase from approximately 18,000 in the ICD-9 version to more than 150,000 with the upgrade to ICD-10.
“Memorial Hermann will continue to apply the rapidly changing improvements in IT and information systems to its clinical and administrative practices in a way that enhances quality patient care and service and aligns with our commitment to helping patients better their overall health and healthcare management,” Bradshaw said.
Health Care’s Most Wired Survey, conducted earlier this year, asked hospitals and health systems nationwide to answer questions regarding their IT initiatives. Respondents completed 741 surveys, representing 2,213 hospitals, or more than 39 percent of all U.S. hospitals.