Kaiser Permanente's clinics – all 350 of them – have received the HIMSS Analytics Stage 7 Ambulatory Award.

The levels, from zero to seven are measured on the Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model, or EMRAM, which is used to track EMR progress at hospitals and health systems.

Developed in 2011, the EMR Ambulatory Adoption Model provides a methodology for evaluating the progress and impact of electronic medical record systems for ambulatory facilities owned by hospitals in the HIMSS Analytics Database.

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During the third quarter of 2014, only 4.37 percent of the more than 27,000 U.S. ambulatory clinics in the HIMSS Analytics Database received the Stage 7 Ambulatory Award.

“Kaiser Permanente is proud to be part of the HIMSS Analytics Stage 7 Awards since they first began recognizing hospitals in 2009," said Dick Daniels, interim chief information officer, Kaiser Permanente, in a press statement. “Today, all 350 of our eligible ambulatory clinics received the HIMSS Analytics Stage 7 Ambulatory Award. Kaiser Permanente is the largest group in that category. Add our 37 HIMSS Analytics Stage 7 Hospital Awards and we feel confident that our EHR adoption is maximizing care delivery throughout our integrated delivery system."

Kaiser Permanente, headquartered in Oakland, Calif. serves approximately 9.5 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia.

In 2002, the organization selected Epic Systems as the primary vendor for its own clinical information system, called HealthConnect, the project was unprecedented in size and scope. It was deployed across all eight Kaiser regions over six years and at a cost of more than $6 billion.

[See also: Kaiser stands by its EHR.]

“Kaiser Permanente has clearly met and exceeded all criteria for an ambulatory Stage 7 organization. They have a complete electronic patient medical record with appropriate ubiquitous access to support patient care in all Kaiser Permanente facilities across the country,” said John P. Hoyt, executive vice president, HIMSS Analytics, in announcing the award. “With world class analytics, Kaiser Permanente has shown the value of a very comprehensive EHR and the business and clinical analytics to improve care, quality, safety, and efficiency on a world class basis.”

Kaiser Permanente will be recognized at the 2015 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition on April 12-16, 2015, in Chicago.