LANSING, MI – Sparrow has received a prestigious national award for its use of information technology to improve Patient care.

Sparrow leaders were given the Nicholas E. Davies Award of Excellence during the 2019 Global Conference & Exhibition of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) in Orlando, Fla.

Sparrow is only the third Michigan hospital to ever receive the award, which recognizes outstanding achievement of organizations that have used health information technology to substantially improve Patient outcomes and value. Only about one in 500 to 1,000 hospitals nationally win the award every year.

HIMSS is a global, cause-based, not-for-profit organization focused on better health through information and technology. HIMSS said it recognized Sparrow “for leveraging the value of health information and technology to improve outcomes.” Three case studies cited by HIMSS involved Sparrow’s use of the Michigan Opioid Safety Score in its electronic medical record (EMR) to improve the care of Patients on opioids; a catheter-associated urinary tract infection prevention program; and improved safeguards in the EMR for ordering red blood cell (RBC) and platelet transfusions. All three case studies were presented live at the HIMSS conference.

“Receiving the Davies Award is a tremendous honor, and we are proud to have industry-leading technology at Sparrow that enables our clinicians to deliver the best care possible,” said Tom Bres, Sparrow Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer, and Chief Administrative Officer. “Sparrow clinicians have a passion for innovation for providing world-class Patient care.”

“Sparrow Health System’s dedication to using evidence-based best practices for RBC and platelet transfusions improved care delivery for both Patients and staff, and led to great financial savings for the organization,” said Jonathan French, CPHIMS, Senior Director of Quality and Value-Based Care at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). “For this, HIMSS is proud to recognize Sparrow as a 2018 Davies Enterprise Award winner.”

Sparrow Hospital, Sparrow Clinton Hospital, Sparrow Ionia Hospital, and all 62 of Sparrow Health System-owned ambulatory practices were also recognized at the HIMSS conference for having achieved HIMSS Stage 7 status for advanced EMR use, confirming Sparrow’s commitment to the highest levels of Patient safety and quality care. Stage 7 status is the highest level of EMR adoption and use recognized by HIMSS.

Sparrow has made tremendous technological strides in recent years, with the EMR system, MySparrow, MyChart Bedside, and other innovations that have made care more accessible to consumers and improved how we deliver it.

Sparrow’s use of digital data and its EMR system are essential to helping transform care for our Patients. We are committed to remaining a technology leader in healthcare.

To access the MySparrow system – and get your test results, message your doctor, and much more – go to https://mychart.sparrow.org/mychart/

Choose Wisely. Choose Sparrow.

Photo captions: Photo 1: Sparrow Information Technology leaders hold the Nicholas E. Davies Award of Excellence with the Dennis A. Swan Family Tower in the background. (From left) Michael Zaroukian, M.D., Chief Health Information Officer; Kathy Smith, Executive Director, IT Applications and Project Management; Chris Nemets (holding award), Chief Nursing Informatics Officer and System Director; and Tom Bres, Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer and Chief Administrative Officer.

Photo 2: Sparrow Information Technology was honored at the recent global conference of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), which is focused on better health through information and technology.

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Sparrow, a member of the prestigious Mayo Clinic Care Network, is mid-Michigan’s premier health care organization that includes hospitals in Lansing, St. Johns, Ionia and Carson City as well as Physicians Health Plan, Sparrow Physicians Health Network, the Sparrow Medical Group and the Michigan Athletic Club. Sparrow is affiliated with Michigan State University’s three human health colleges. Through these partnerships and the dedication of our 10,000 Caregivers, Sparrow pursues a vision to be nationally recognized as a leader in quality and Patient experience. For more information, visit Sparrow.org.