LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) recently garnered recognition as a 2024 Digital Health Most Wired organization from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME).
CHIME’s Digital Health Most Wired program conducts annual surveys that serve as a comprehensive “digital health check-up,” evaluating the adoption, integration and impact of technology in health care organizations. Participating organizations received certification based on their overall performance, with Level 10 being the highest.
This year, the program awarded UAMS a Level 9 rating in the category of acute care. Among the more than 47,000 facilities represented in the surveys, UAMS ranked above many of its peers in areas such as cybersecurity, data visualization and analytics, infrastructure, and patient engagement.
“Achieving this level of recognition shows UAMS’ dedication to improving health care through the advancement of digital health strategies and innovative solutions in technology,” said Cheryl Lane, associate vice chancellor for institutional support services and chief information officer at UAMS, who noted the Level 9 ranking was the highest UAMS has ever achieved.
Lane praised the university’s information technology employees and informatics and health care operational partners, adding that the CHIME honor reflects their collaborative spirit and their outstanding use of technology to deliver care and improve operational efficiency.
“I am proud of the work we’ve been able to accomplish together,” she said.
The Digital Health Most Wired program strives to elevate the health and health care of communities around the world through the optimal use of information technology. CHIME said the importance of technology continues to grow as health care organizations face challenges such as cybersecurity threats, evolving care models, staffing shortages and budget constraints.
In recognizing this year’s top achievers, Russ Branzell, president and CEO of CHIME, noted that their “pioneering performance in the industry not only inspires other organizations by example but also provides patients around the world with better care.”
CHIME is an executive organization that serves chief information officers, chief medical information officers, chief nursing information officers, chief innovation officers, chief digital officers and other senior health care IT leaders. It has more than 3,000 members in 58 countries and more than 190 health care IT business partners and professional services firms.
