LAFAYETTE, LA (June 11) - HIMSS Analytics announced Lafayette General Medical Center (LGMC) has achieved Stage 6 on the Electronic Medical Records Adoption Model^SM (EMRAM). Lafayette General, a 353 staffed bed facility, is the largest full-service, acute-care medical center in the nine-parish area of Acadiana.

HIMSS Analytics developed the EMR Adoption Model in 2005 as a methodology for evaluating the progress and impact of electronic medical record systems for hospitals in the HIMSS Analytics™ Database. Tracking their progress in completing eight stages (0-7), hospitals can review the implementation and utilization of information technology applications with the intent of reaching Stage 7, which represents an advanced electronic patient record environment.

Stage 6 hospitals

· Have made significant executive commitments and investments to reach this stage.

· Appear to have a significant advantage over competitors for patient safety, clinician support, clinician recruitment and competitive marketing for both consumers and nurse recruitment.

· Have almost fully-automated/paperless medical records when they have implemented their IT applications across most of the inpatient care settings.

· Are either starting to evaluate their data for care delivery process improvements or have already documented significant improvements in this area.

· Have made investments that are within reach of most hospitals and recognize the strategic value of improving patient care with Electronic Medical Records.

· Have begun to create strategic alignments with their medical staff to effectively utilize information technology to improve the patient safety environment

· Are well-positioned to provide data to key stakeholders, such as payers, the government, physicians, consumers, and employers, to support electronic health record environments and health information exchanges.

Stage 6 hospitals also have achieved a significant advancement in their IT capabilities that positions them to successfully address many of the current industry transformations, such as meaningful use criteria in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), claims attachments for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, pay for performance and government quality reporting programs.

"We are the first healthcare facility in Lafayette to achieve HIMSS Stage 6 and just the 4th hospital in Louisiana," said LGMC President and CEO David L. Callecod, FACHE. "This is a great recognition for our organization and it shows the hard work and dedication by many within our organization."

The other hospitals in Louisiana that have reached stage 6 are West Jefferson (Marrero), St. Elizabeth (Gonzales) and Our Lady of the Lake (Baton Rouge). No hospital in Louisiana has attained Stage 7.

"Our patients are at the center of everything we do," says Callecod. "We will strive to maximize the utilization of information technology to improve their health, reduce their costs and improve our quality of care. This then shifts us toward a value-based care system and helps the hospital continue its mission to restore, maintain and improve health."

Lafayette General not only needed a software upgrade, but also additional software solutions and a hardware refresh of the core infrastructure to meet ARRA standards for "meaningful use". Meaningful use is described as using certified EMR technology in ways that can be measured significantly in quality and in quantity.

The ARRA act is one of the largest government-driven changes to healthcare and has presented LGMC with significant opportunities and challenges. Meaningful use helps to achieve better quality outcomes, better care coordination and enhances a safer environment for patients.

"We are so excited for this level of recognition," said LGMC Chief Medical Information Officer Amanda Logue, M.D. "To achieve HIMSS Stage 6 status indicates that many teams throughout the scope of our medical center had to work together to make this possible. We will continue to work together towards a united goal of the highest quality patient care."

LGMC approached the EMR with a strong executive governance team, physician advisory team and clinical "super users". Goals within the organization were established to provide best practices in patient care, timely support of core measures and appropriate sharing of information.

"HIMSS Analytics congratulates Lafayette General Medical Center for leading the way toward health IT adoption,” said John Hoyt, FACHE, FHIMSS, Executive Vice President, Organizational Services, for HIMSS. "Stage 6 represents a level of sophistication that only 335 U.S. hospitals have reached to date.”

About Lafayette General Medical Center

Lafayette General Medical Center, a 353 staffed bed facility, is the largest full-service, acute-care medical center in the nine-parish area of Acadiana. LGMC provides families with comprehensive medical services at every level of care, from severe emergency trauma to the common cold. Lafayette General evolved from Lafayette Sanitarium, a six-bed facility that opened in 1911, and has been a leader in health care throughout its existence. Over the years, LGMC has expanded its services and facilities to meet the community's growing needs.

Lafayette General Medical Center is recognized by federal and state tax laws as a 501c(3) not-for-profit corporation. Although the hospital generates money by billing for its health care services, it does not pay out any revenue to shareholders, as for-profits do. Any net revenue is reinvested into the organization for new equipment, facilities, and technology to better care for the people we serve.

As the region’s only community-owned and managed hospital, all decisions are made locally by an experienced administrative team and a volunteer Membership Corporation and Board of Trustees. At LGMC, you can count on us to stay one step ahead of the changing face of health care. For general information, call (337) 289-7991.

About HIMSS Analytics

HIMSS Analytics is a wholly owned not-for-profit subsidiary of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS).The company collects and analyzes healthcare data related to IT processes and environments, products, IS department composition and costs, IS department management metrics, healthcare trends and purchase-related decisions.HIMSS Analytics delivers high quality data and analytical expertise to healthcare delivery organizations, healthcare IT companies, state governments, financial companies, pharmaceutical companies, and consulting firms. Visit www.himssanalytics.org/ for more information.