The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

11/22/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/22/2024 09:44

UT Health San Antonio again honored for digital excellence by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives

Contact: Steven Lee, (210) 450-3823, [email protected]

SAN ANTONIO, Nov. 22, 2024 - For a second consecutive year, UT Health San Antonio has been recognized as a "Digital Health Most Wired" organization by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), an organization serving senior health care information technology leaders.

The award is based on an annual survey designed to identify and recognize health care organizations that exemplify best practices through their adoption, implementation and use of information technology. The most-recent award is for a 2024 data collection period.

Among the almost 48,000 facilities represented, UT Health San Antonio distinguished itself by ranking above peers in critical categories such as analytics and data management, population health, infrastructure and patient engagement. The survey evaluates the adoption, integration and impact of technologies across health care organizations, from early-stage adopters to industry leaders.

"As we continue advancing our digital capabilities, this award underscores the exceptional dedication of our team in leveraging technology to support UT Health San Antonio's mission in both clinical care and research," said Michael Schnabel, MBA, vice president and chief information officer of UT Health San Antonio. "Meeting the challenges and opportunities ahead allows us to deliver more connected, secure and innovative solutions that ultimately benefit our patients, faculty and the entire community."

Each participating health care organization is scored on a scale from 1 to 10, reflecting its digital health profile. Those earning levels 7 through 10 receive the "most wired" designation, with UT Health San Antonio achieving a "Level 9" designation in the ambulatory survey selection - up from Level 8 the previous year.

The designation means that UT Health San Antonio's advancements in digital health better equip its care staff to help streamline workflows and deliver consumer-oriented, digitally enabled care, said Todd Holling, UT Health San Antonio deputy chief information officer.

"We are honored to be recognized by the Most Wired Survey for the second year in a row," he said. "This award recognizes our clear demonstration of the amazing work done at UT Health San Antonio to embrace digital innovation to increase the quality of patient care through advancement in digital health."

Each participant in the CHIME survey receives a benchmarking report that can be used to assess their current health IT program, providing a "digital health check-up" for health care organizations.

Amid escalating challenges posed by growing cybersecurity threats, evolving care models, staffing shortages and budget constraints, the call for revolutionizing health care through technology is moving forward at a rapid pace, according to CHIME.

"We are proud to recognize your organization's exceptional dedication to digital health excellence," said Russ Branzell, CHIME president and CEO, in his notification to the winners. "Your pioneering performance in the industry not only inspires other organizations by example, but also provides patients around the world with better care."

UT Health San Antonio's recognition is based in large part on a willingness to embrace technology innovation that leads to:

  • Improved quality, safety and outcomes across the clinical and research enterprises
  • Enhanced patient and caregiver experience and satisfaction while strengthening its reputation in the community
  • Increased collaboration and knowledge-sharing with both internal and external constituencies
  • Speeding scientific discovery and improving access to clinical studies, especially for very rare diseases

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio), a primary driver of San Antonio's $44.1 billion health care and biosciences sector, is the largest academic research institution in South Texas with an annual research portfolio of $413 million. Driving substantial economic impact with its six professional schools, a diverse workforce of more than 8,500, an annual expense budget of $1.46 billion and clinical practices that provide 2.6 million patient visits each year, UT Health San Antonio plans to add more than 1,500 higher-wage jobs over the next five years to serve San Antonio, Bexar County and South Texas. To learn about the many ways "We make lives betterĀ®," visit UTHealthSA.org.

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