Nebraska Medicine, comprising the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Bellevue Medical Center and UNMC Physicians, will be recognized at the 2016 HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition in Las Vegas for achieving Stage 7. The healthcare provider joins only 4.1 percent of the 5,400 U.S. hospitals in the HIMSS Analytics Database to achieve the award for electronic medical record adoption.

To attain this award, a provider must successfully pass all seven levels of HIMSS Analytics' Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model, which is used to track EMR progress at hospitals and healthcare systems. A site visit from a HIMSS Analytics executive and former or current CIO ensures an unbiased evaluation of Stage 7 status.

[Also: Avera McKennan Hospital scores Stage 7]

"We are delighted to achieve this milestone, showcasing our dedication to quality and patient care," said Nebraska Medicine Interim CEO Rosanna Morris in a statement. "Nebraska Medicine continues to dedicate time, talent and resources to the development and integration of our electronic medical record, in order to provide the highest quality of care to our patients."

Nebraska Medicine employs more than 1,000 physicians in the Omaha region, serving over 500,000 patients annually. The IT department is led by Chief Transformation Officer Michael Ash, MD.

The health system uses a single, integrated Epic EMR, the result of an $87 million investment in 2012. Nebraska Medicine continues to add to the system, including a 2013 introduction of One Chart, an EHR system designed to boost communication between patients and providers.

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"Nebraska Medicine has effectively developed its governance, clinical and business analytics and disaster recovery/business continuity strategies in a way that helps to ensure process improvements are sustainable," said John H. Daniels, global vice president, healthcare advisory services group, HIMSS Analytics.

"They're driven not by the information technologies they use; they're driven by how they can best use those technologies to drive improvements in safety, care quality and cost efficiencies," he said.

Twitter: @JessiefDavis