PITTSBURGH, Oct. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- For the third consecutive year, Allegheny Health Network (AHN) hospitals have earned the distinguished Most Wired® recognition by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME).

Each of the eight AHN winning hospitals in 2020 achieved Most Wired Certified Level 8 (8/10); they are: Allegheny General Hospital, Allegheny Valley Hospital, Canonsburg Hospital, Forbes Hospital, Jefferson Hospital, Saint Vincent Hospital, West Penn Hospital, and Westfield Memorial Hospital.

Most Wired® is the industry-leading survey and recognition on IT adoption and innovation in health systems across the country designed to identify, recognize, and certify the adoption, implementation, and use of information technology by healthcare provider organizations. The results are intended to improve patient safety and outcomes by driving change in the healthcare IT industry.

AHN is one the country's largest health systems that integrates patient care under one singular electronic health record, Epic, including is hospitals, outpatient facilities and affiliated physician practices. The system is composed of more than 300 sites of care in total, and its newest addition, Grove City Hospital in Mercer County, PA, is scheduled to go live on Epic in early 2021.

In addition to implementing systems such as Epic, Level 8 organizations have deployed technologies and strategies such as population health and cost-of-care analytics, telehealth, and patient portals to help them analyze their data and achieve meaningful clinical and efficiency outcomes. Some of these organizations are also exploring advanced technologies, like telehealth to expand further expand access to care.

This year, healthcare technology has played a significant role in allowing patients to access care virtually from the safety of their homes through video visits and eVisits. Pre-COVID, AHN physicians were using telemedicine with approximately 20 visits a day; that daily count soared to more than 3,700 at the height of the pandemic.

"Consistent recognition as a Most Wired® health system reflects AHN's commitment to investing in a robust, leading-edge IT strategy and technological solutions that drive better healthcare value, outcomes and experiences for patients," said John Lee, MD, Chief Medical Information Officer at AHN. "We will continue to build upon the program's success and to shape its future course as part of a blended health and wellness enterprise."

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About the Allegheny Health Network:
Allegheny Health Network (AHN.org), a Highmark Health company, is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. The Network is composed of 13 hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, Health + Wellness Pavilions, multiple employed physician organizations, home and community based health services, a research institute, and a group purchasing organization. The Network provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and emergency care, trauma care, cardiovascular disease, organ transplantation, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, women's health, diabetes, autoimmune disease and more. AHN employs approximately 21,000 people, has more than 2,500 physicians on its medical staff and serves as a clinical campus for Drexel University College of Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

 

SOURCE AHN

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