Blackstone Valley achieves<br> recognition in analytics

PAWTUCKET – A national health IT organization has recognized Blackstone Valley Community Health Care for achieving Stage 6 in its use of analytics in its electronic medical records for ambulatory care, one of only 375 sites nationwide– and the first ambulatory health care facility in Rhode Island – to achieve such recognition
HIMSS Analytics, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting better understanding of health care information and management systems, praised Blackstone Valley Community Health Care for its level of sophistication in leading the way toward health IT adoption.
“It required a leap of faith, as well as tremendous foresight, in 2006 by our board of directors, to commit the resources necessary to make Blackstone Valley Community Health Care an innovator in health information systems,” said Executive Director Ray Lavoie. “At that time, we fully embraced health IT innovations because we understood that it would directly benefit our patients by improving the safety, quality, and timeliness of the care we provide. Immediate access to data from all medical providers creates a robust and accurate picture of their overall health, ensuring accurate diagnosis and treatment.”
Lavoie also praised the diligence of the center’s entire staff and their willingness to embark on a journey of continuous learning, training, upgrades, and more training. A strongly share belief that the center’s future is dependent upon the improved quality, safety and outcomes delivered through the integrated use of data at the point of care, according to Lavoie.
The build-out of the center’s health IT system began with the implementation of its NextGen IT system in 2006, enabling the use of electronic medication management, electronic messaging, physician and nurse documentation, exam results, and patient monitoring since 2007.
In 2010, Blackstone Valley added the NextGen patient portal, and then the NextGen health information exchange in 2011. A clinical data warehouse from Arcadia Solutions was added in 2012, providing Blackstone Valley with the capability to analyze clinical data and claims data in order to measure clinical quality outcomes over time, essential to population health management.
As a result, Blackstone Valley has been able to bend the medical cost curve by nearly $9 million in the last two years through avoided medical costs at its three locations in Pawtucket and Central Falls. Blackstone Valley has also achieved recognition as a NCQA Level 3 patient-centered medical home.