Network Wins 3rd Davies Award

St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) was recognized as a 2023 HIMSS Davies Award recipient, making it one of only three health care organizations in the nation to earn the distinguished award three times.

The Davies Award of Excellence recognizes organizations using health information technology (IT) to substantially improve patient outcomes while achieving a return on investments. The HIMSS Davies organization receives hundreds of applications annually and awards less than 15.

“We are honored and proud to be recognized as one of only three hospital systems in the nation to win the HIMSS Davies Award three times,” said Chief Information Officer Chad Brisendine. “We have an innovative team that continues to use St. Luke’s clinical data to improve the quality of care and the health of our patients. Our team continues to advance our mission to improve the health and wellbeing of people and communities entrusted to our care.”

St. Luke’s submitted three projects with supporting outcomes that showed advances in anti-microbial stewardship, launching an on-site testing platform to handle the peak waves of COVID-19 cases, and optimizing advanced care planning for patients facing advanced chronic kidney diseases. SLUHN’s multidisciplinary team-based approach used navigation tools, alerts, reports and artificial intelligence within Epic, the network’s electronic health record (EHR).

“Leveraging a mature and robust data-driven governance structure, SLUHN has a proven track record of identifying opportunities for improved care processes and quickly implementing solutions that enable sustainable improvements in care outcomes,” according to the HIMSS website.

Click a link below to learn more about SLUHN’s case studies.

• Amp It Up – At the height of COVID-19 there was a significant lack of testing, treatment and vaccines available. SLUHN used technology to overcome supply shortages and other obstacles, achieving an average turnaround time of 4.7 hours for COVID-19 testing in a new in-house molecular laboratory. This initiative significantly improved patient care efficiency and effectiveness.

   

• Antimicrobial Stewardship: Longitudinal Outcomes of Performance Improvement – SLUHN implemented an antimicrobial stewardship program (AMS) to improve resistance to antibiotics, adverse drug events and superinfections. The AMS program at SLUHN has been successful in reducing inappropriate antibiotic use by almost 22 percent, with interventions leading to substantial cost savings and a significant reduction in Clostridium difficile infection (C-Diff) rates.

   

• Advanced Care Planning in Nephrology Patients – SLUHN created a comprehensive approach, including a dedicated office encounter for advanced care planning, using Epic, and establishing clear protocols for patient criteria, visit workflow, and treatment algorithms based on patient goals. The results of the project were positive, with a significant reduction in ER utilization (17.2%), admissions (24%), and readmissions (50%) for patients who attended the advanced care planning visit.