The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society has announced two recipients of the 2009 HIMSS Davies Public Health Award of Excellence.
The winners are the Boston Syndromic Surveillance System (B-SYNSS), part of the Boston Public Health Commission's Infectious Disease Bureau; and Denver Public Health's Denver Public Health Information Service (DPH-IS).
Representatives from both organizations gave presentations Wednesday at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Conference in Atlanta.
According to HIMSS, the Nicholas E. Davies Award of Excellence focuses on the implementation and use of health information technology – specifically electronic health records – for healthcare organizations, private practices, public health systems and community health organizations.
Julia Gunn, director of the communicable disease control division at the Boston Public Health Commission's Infectious Disease Bureau, said the primary value of B-SYNSS is the ability to take the pulse of Boston's communicable disease activity.
"The use of separate, distinct types of surveillance data is invaluable for providing actionable information," she said. "Public health response at a local level takes into account a myriad of factors, including disease processes, public perception, political accountability and availability of resources to provide efficient and effective interventions."
Denver Public Health (DPH) is a division of the Denver Health and Hospital Authority, an integrated, safety net healthcare provider. Every year, the Denver Health and Hospital Authority cares for almost 25 percent of Denver's 600,000 citizens.
"The biggest success is the effective communication of information internally and with the state. This leads to better patient care and overall quality," said Arthur Davidson, MD, director of public health informatics and preparedness.
According to Davidson, the Denver Public Health information system gives clinicians more time to spend with patients while makiing test results available more quickly. There is also improved communication between DPH and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, he said, allowing for faster recognition of trends and disease outbreaks.
Amy Ising, chairwoman of the HIMSS Davies Public Health steering committee, said the achievements of the two award recipients demonstrate how managing and sharing patient care data with their information systems can make a positive impact on population health.
"All of us on the committee congratulate these recipients for their dedication and commitment to public health and receipt of the HIMSS Davies Public Health Award," she said.
According to HIMMS, the HIMSS Davies Public Health Award is applicable to any federal, state, local, tribal or non-profit public health program that improves the health of a defined community through health information management. The award recognizes the use of care data for public health issues and, ideally, its impact on population health; it does not recognize care delivery.
The Public Health Davies Committee reviews submitted applications, conducts site visits to the finalists, and selects the award recipients.
