The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has honored Salt Lake Regional Medical Center for being among the first health care providers in Utah to adopt, implement or upgrade a qualified electronic health record system and receive resulting CMS incentives.

The use of electronic health record systems leads to improvements in quality and patient care, increased availability of records and data, better clinical decision support, and the improved safety and convenience of electronic prescribing. Electronic prescribing can improve patient safety by reducing the possibility of a medication error, and it lets providers accurately send prescriptions electronically to the pharmacy. Other advantages of EHR systems include easier tracking and sharing of lab tests or X-rays, and automatic alerts that direct attention to possible drug interactions or warning signs of serious health conditions.

“It’s an honor to be one of the first facilities in Utah to receive this recognition,” said Amy Bridge, director of Health Information Management at Salt Lake Regional Medical Center. “It has been exciting to be a part of this initiative and to see advances in health information management that improve patient care and increase efficiency.”