The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Selected As 2015 HIMSS Enterprise Davies Award Recipient

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center has been named a 2015 HIMSS Enterprise Davies Award recipient. Since 1994, the HIMSS Nicholas E. Davies Award of Excellence has recognized outstanding achievement of organizations that have utilized health information technology (IT) to substantially improve patient outcomes while achieving return on investment. The Davies Awards program promotes electronic health record-enabled improvement in patient outcomes through sharing of case studies and lessons learned across a wide range of efforts, including implementation strategies, workflow design, best practice development and adherence, and patient engagement that have improved care outcomes for patients.

Ohio State’s University Wexner Medical Center is central Ohio’s only academic medical center. It serves all patients and populations, with the uninsured and Medicaid population comprising approximately 25% of the organization’s patient mix. It has a staff of approximately 16,000, with over 1,500 physicians, 900 fellows/residents and 500 mid-level providers.

OSU Wexner Medical Center is the first two- time winner of the Davies Award, first winning in 2001. It has launched a clinical data mart designed to monitor the use of anti-microbial medication. Through the utilization of policies developed as result of analysis of data from the data mart, the medical center has significantly reduced the use of anti-microbials and observed a corresponding reduction of resistant infections like C. difficile.

Using health maintenance alerts and standardized care, OSU Wexner Medical Center has significantly improved chronic disease management, including a 5% increase in the number of diabetic patients with HgbA1c under control.

In addition, the IT department implemented a facility charge calculator within the EMR to more accurately code levels of service based on chart documentation in the Emergency Department. With the implementation of the charge calculator, OSU Wexner Medical Center has realized approximately $50M in gross revenue per year from charges that would have been otherwise missed under the old system.

“This award, which recognizes the intersection of health IT, patient outcomes and return on investment, is an indicator of the tremendous partnership at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center between all departments to impact the care provided to our patients through technology,” said Phyllis Teater, chief information officer. “It is an honor to be the first two-time winner of the Davies Award, and I am proud of the hard work teams across the medical center put in to make it a reality.”

“Large academic medical centers face unique challenges, including unique governance challenges and very sick patient populations” said Jonathan French, director of quality and patient safety at HIMSS North America. “Wexner Medical Center uses a forward-thinking approach to seek new technological solutions to problems around resistant infections, chronic disease management, and revenue cycle that have improved efficiencies and care outcomes for patients. The Davies Committee and HIMSS congratulate the team members of OSUWMC on improving patient outcomes through the effective use of Health IT and becoming the first organization to win a second Davies Award.”

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center will be recognized at the 2016 HIMSS Conference & Exhibition on Monday, Feb. 29-Friday, March 4 at the Venetian – Palazzo – Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, Nev.. For more information on applying for the HIMSS Davies Awards of Excellence, visit the HIMSS Davies Award website. The 2016 Davies Awards submission cycle will be open from January 1, 2016-July 1, 2016.

About HIMSS
HIMSS North America, a business unit within HIMSS, positively transforms health and healthcare through the best use of information technology in the United States and Canada. As a cause-based non-profit, HIMSS North America provides thought leadership, community building, professional development, public policy, and events. HIMSS North America represents 61,000 individual members, 640 corporate members, and over 450 non-profit organizations. Thousands of volunteers work with HIMSS to improve the quality, cost-effectiveness, access, and value of healthcare through IT. Major initiatives within HIMSS North America include the HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition, National Health IT Week, HIMSS Innovation Center, HIMSS Interoperability Showcases, HIMSS Health IT Value Suite, and ConCert by HIMSS.