The analytics arm of the Chicago-based Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), HIMSS Analytics, has recognized a trio of hospitals and an ambulatory clinic with its Stage 7 EMR Adoption Model (EMRAM) award.

The recognized hospitals are St. Mary’s Hospital from Madison, Wis., SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center in Saint Louis, Mo, and Stoughton Critical Access Hospital from Stoughton, Wis., while the ambulatory clinic is Dean Clinic, Madison, Wis. Stage 7 of the EMRAM, which has variations that cover both hospitals and ambulatory clinics, judges providers on EMR [electronic medical record] and clinical information technology systems implementation. There are eight stages (0-7), with Stage 7 representing “an advanced electronic patient record environment”

Two of the hospitals, Stoughton Critical Access and SSM Cardinal Glennon, are part of SSM Health Care, a Saint Louis-based, multi-state health system. Rick Vaughn, M.D., chief medical information officer at SSM Health Care, says Stage 7 is a validation of the health system’s intent to make sure patients and providers are given the information needed to make critical decisions when necessary.

The other two, St. Mary’s and Dean have teamed to become a very effective and value oriented accountable care organization (ACO), says John P. Hoyt, executive vice president, HIMSS Analytics. “A superb job of using patient engagement strategies through the tools they have to engage patients in their health maintenance. Evidence is there that health is improving in blood pressure and diabetes care,” he added about the two organizations.

The four providers will be recognized at HIMSS’ annual conference, held next year in Orlando.