HACKENSACK, N.J., Aug. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hackensack University Medical Center (HackensackUMC) is pleased to announce that it has accepted President Barack Obama's call to action to improve the interoperability of electronic health records (EHRs) as part of the President's Precision Medicine Initiative, a new research effort to revolutionize the delivery of healthcare. HackensackUMC is one of a very select group of organizations that has accepted and delivered on this challenge based on the medical center's strength in healthcare information technology, early adoption and advancement of interoperability standards as well as its ongoing commitment to patient experience. "On behalf of Hackensack University Medical Center, I am honored to accept the President's call to action to be part of this groundbreaking initiative to transform patient care by harnessing the power of information technology," Robert C. Garrett, president and CEO of Hackensack University Health Network, said in a statement to the White House accepting the challenge. "At HackensackUMC, we have been committed to precision medicine, and have been working for several years on genomics and real-time monitoring of glucose, blood pressure, cardiac rhythm and other biomedical information. I am excited that HackensackUMC will be lending its expertise and experience to this national movement to create an interoperable system that is more collaborative while at the same time safeguarding patient privacy." Leading this initiative for HackensackUMC is Shafiq Rab, M.D., MPH, vice president and chief information officer, who has been on the forefront of developing and advancing interoperability standards within and across health systems while placing the control in the hands o the patient. "It is our commitment to provide a delivery mechanism to move the concept of precision medicine into everyday medical practice. We believe the most important person in healthcare is the patient. The patient should have the ability to access his/her information at anytime from anywhere for any purpose - as well as be able to share that information with any healthcare provider they choose anywhere, anytime without any barriers securely," said Dr. Rab. Dr. Rab and the HackensackUMC Information Technology team have been on the forefront of developing and implementing open, vendor-neutral standards as part of the Argonaut Project. The team is an early adopter of Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR), a next-generation API based standard for exchanging health information, developed by the nonprofit organization Health Level Seven International. HackensackUMC is one of the first medical institutions to implement an application using the FHIR protocol, which will offer patients better access to their health information, and more control over when and how they are shared. About Hackensack University Medical CenterHackensackUMC, a nonprofit teaching and research hospital located in Bergen County, NJ, is the largest provider of inpatient and outpatient services in the state. Founded in 1888 as the county's first hospital, it is the flagship hospital of Hackensack University Health Network, one of the largest health networks in the state comprised of 1,717 beds, more than 10,000 employees and 3,300 credentialed physicians. HackensackUMC was listed as the number one hospital in New Jersey in U.S. News & World Report's 2015-16 Best Hospital rankings - maintaining its place atop the NJ rankings since the rating system was introduced. HackensackUMC is one of Healthgrades America's 50 Best Hospitals™ for nine years in a row, and received the Healthgrades Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence™ 13 years in a row. The medical center has also been named a Leapfrog Top Hospital, is one of the top 25 green hospitals in the country according to Practice Greenhealth, and received 23 Gold Seals of Approval™ by the Joint Commission – more than any other hospital in the country. It was the first hospital in New Jersey and second in the nation to become a Magnet® recognized hospital for nursing excellence; receiving its fifth consecutive designation in 2014. HackensackUMC has created an entire campus of award-winning care, including: the John Theurer Cancer Center; the Heart & Vascular Hospital; and the Sarkis and Siran Gabrellian Women's and Children's Pavilion, which houses the Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital and Donna A. Sanzari Women's Hospital, which was designed with The Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center and listed on the Green Guide's list of Top 10 Green Hospitals in the U.S. HackensackUMC is the Hometown Hospital of the New York Giants and the New York Red Bulls and is the Official Medical Services Provider to The Barclays PGA Golf Tournament. It remains committed to its community through fundraising and community events. To learn more, visit: www.HackensackUMC.org. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150115/169305LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hackensack-university-medical-center-accepts-white-house-call-to-action-to-advance-the-precision-medicine-initiative-300124088.html SOURCE Hackensack University Medical Center [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Following a White House call to Action, Hackensack University Medical Center has accepted the challenge to improve interoperability of EHRs. Hackensack UMC"s CIO, Barack Obama has explained that it is their commitment to provide a delivery mechanism to move the concept of precision medicine into everyday medical practice.