Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) has been recognized as one of the nation's Most Wired Hospitals and Health Systems of 2019, according to data released by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME). 

NGHS is recognized as a Most Wired health system for the sixth time, this year as a certified level 8 health system. Level 8 organizations have deployed technologies and strategies like population health/cost-of-care analytics, HIEs/integration engines and patient portals to help them analyze their data - and they're starting to achieve meaningful clinical and efficiency outcomes. Only four health systems in Georgia were recognized at this level.

"While NGHS is always honored to be included on the Most Wired list," says Chris Paravate, NGHS' Chief Information Officer, "this year's recognition is particularly meaningful, as it comes on the heels of our own Epic installation and extension of these tools to Longstreet Clinic through Epic's Community Connect program." 

The Most Wired program conducts an annual survey to assess how effectively healthcare organizations apply information technologies into their clinical and business programs to improve patient safety and outcomes in their communities. Most Wired health systems capitalize on IT in eight critical areas: infrastructure; security; business/disaster recovery; administrative/supply chain; analytics/data management; interoperability/population health; patient engagement; clinical quality/safety (inpatient, outpatient and ambulatory). Some organizations, like NGHS, are also experimenting with more advanced technologies that expand access to care.