AHIMA Presents University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics with Inaugural Grace Award
The University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics is being honored for its innovative approach to health information management by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) by winning AHIMA’s first Grace Award.
Named for founder Grace Whiting Myers, the AHIMA Grace Award: In Recognition of Excellence in Health Information Management honors healthcare delivery organizations that demonstrate effective and innovative approaches in using health information to deliver high quality healthcare. The inaugural award was presented today at the 84th AHIMA Annual Convention & Exhibit in Chicago.
The University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics was selected from more than 40 applicants by judges from healthcare delivery organizations, health information professionals, academia and HIM associations including AHIMA members. Some innovative components of UW’s program include:
- An electronic portal for referring facilities to transmit key patient information. HIM professionals ensure it is available for viewing within two hours of receipt
- Palm vein scanning technology to quickly and accurately identify patients at clinic registration and hospital admission, protecting against medical fraud and medical identity theft
“Innovations like these are key to ensuring that quality information drives quality patient care,” said AHIMA CEO Lynne Thomas Gordon, MBA, RHIA, CAE, FACHE, FAHIMA. “University of Wisconsin, our finalists and honorable mention honorees are each outstanding organizations that are demonstrating the vital role health information plays in the continuum of care.”
Evaluation criteria included how organizations contribute to a patient-centered model of care, advance electronic health records and integrate HIM throughout the workplace.
“We’re proud of the innovative approach we take to health information and honored to be recognized by AHIMA with this new Grace Award,” said Donna Katen-Bahensky, president and CEO of UW Hospital and Clinics. “The ultimate winners here are our patients, medical staff and other providers who are assured that their information is secure, accurate and available when and where they need it.”
Other honorees included three finalists:
- Boston Children’s Hospital
- Cleveland Clinic Health System
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Nashville)
Seven organizations received honorable mentions:
- Banner Health (Phoenix)
- BayCare Health System (Clearwater, Fla.)
- Children’s Hospital Colorado (Aurora, Colo.)
- Henry Ford Health System (Detroit)
- New York-Presbyterian Hospital
- Springfield Clinic, LLP (Springfield, Ill.)
- Truman Medical Centers (Kansas City, Mo.)
Whiting Myers established AHIMA in 1928 in partnership with the American College of Surgeons who wanted to “elevate the standards of clinical records in hospitals and other medical institutions.” This farsighted recognition of the importance of medical record quality to patient care and research underlies the organization today.
About AHIMA
Representing more than 64,000 specially educated Health Information Management professionals in the United States and around the world, the American Health Information Management Association is committed to promoting and advocating for high quality research, best practices and effective standards in health information and to actively contributing to the development and advancement of health information professionals worldwide. AHIMA’s enduring goal is quality healthcare through quality information.