Global Recognition for Asthma Care and Advances in Colorectal Screening

OSSINING , NEW YORK, USA, December 17, 2018 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Open Door Family Medical Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center with six locations throughout Westchester and Putnam Counties, will be honored with the HIMSS Davies Award, the highest global recognition for successful implementation of information technology in the health care sector. The award recognizes the use of information technology to improve clinical outcomes and can be presented to hospitals, clinics, community health centers and public health organizations. Open Door earned the award for impressive improvements in asthma care at the organization’s School-Based Health Centers, and advancements in colorectal screening at community health centers. Open Door is the second community health center across the country to have earned the HIMSS Davies Award twice, having won previously in 2010.

“As only the second community health center to be recognized two times by the HIMSS Davies Award Program, Open Door Family Medical Center has demonstrated a commitment to using information technology to improve the population health of their community,” said Jonathan French, CPHIMS, senior director of quality and value-based care at HIMSS. “In addition, Open Door uses information technology to improve care delivery for underserved children with asthma by providing a high standard of care in local schools. For this, HIMSS is proud to recognize Open Door as a 2018 HIMSS Davies Community Health Award winner.”
Open Door serves nearly 57,000 patients each year, many of whom live at or below the federal poverty level of $25,100 per year for a family of four. Open Door identifies asthma as an area of particular concern among its patient population, especially for children. A decade ago, the organization found that only 15% of children suffering from asthma in schools served by Open Door were provided with a formal Asthma Action Plan, designed to aid in treatment of this chronic condition. In 2018, Open Door achieved its goal of providing 90% of children suffering from asthma with an Asthma Action Plan, and reduced missed school days due to asthma by 90%. In order to achieve these results, Open Door installed a series of protocols among its care teams, including the use of advanced software designed to offer detailed tracking of patient progress.

“Open Door nurtures an organizational culture that values, invests in, and utilizes information systems to support our care teams in their workflows to advance patient care and population health. Recognition as an award recipient is a validation of our efforts and encourages continued innovation in using technology to advance the Institute of Healthcare Improvement’s Triple Aim,” said Daren Wu, M.D., chief medical officer of Open Door Family Medical Centers.

Open Door also used the combination of data-driven analytics with the personalized approach provided by its care teams to tackle another challenging area for its patent population – screening for colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is the third most common form of cancer in both men and women. It is also the third leading cause of cancer deaths. With an uninsured patient population more than 2 ½ times higher than statewide averages for Federally Qualified Health Centers, Open Door patients had often been lacking appropriate screening. In 2011, less than 20% of patients aged 50 to 75 at Open Door were appropriately screened for colorectal cancer.

In 2018, 60% of Open Door patients in the 50 -75 age range were screened for colorectal cancer. To achieve this outcome, Open Door improved the visibility and accessibility of patient data to clinicians and care team members by creating actionable, visual dashboards. In addition, electronic health records supported the team’s use of visit planning reports, clinician education, order sets, templates, and registries.

About Open Door Family Medical Center
Open Door Family Medical Center provides health care and wellness programs to individuals and families in need throughout Westchester and Putnam Counties, New York. A pioneer Federally Qualified Health Center, Open Door provides more than 300,000 patient visits annually and serves nearly 57,000 individual patients who might not otherwise have access. Open Door offers integrated services and a holistic approach to building healthier communities. Primary medical care, dental care, integrated behavioral health care, clinical nutrition, wellness programs, and chronic disease management are the foundation of its clinical programs. Founded as a free clinic in 1972, Open Door’s mission of building healthier communities through accessible, equitable, culturally competent health care has led to site and service expansions. Today, Open Door operates centers in Brewster, Mamaroneck, Mt. Kisco, Ossining, Port Chester, and Sleepy Hollow, in addition to seven School-Based Health Centers in the Port Chester and Ossining School Districts. Open Door is accredited by the Joint Commission and is recognized by the National Committee on Quality Assurance as a Patient-Centered Medical Home. Open Door achieves clinical results that consistently surpass national benchmarks for patient outcomes. For additional information, please contact Amy Wolfson, Chief External Relations Officer (914) 502-1416 or online at www.opendoormedical.org.
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