PLANO, TX – When Christopher Crow, MD, opened his two-physician family practice here in 2001, he decided to maintain his patient records the “old paper way.”

But after studying other industries, such as aviation and banking, Crow concluded that healthcare “had glaring deficiencies that cried out for automation.” Two years later, his practice implemented electronic medical records, and has enjoyed financial and quality improvements ever since.

As a result of its achievements, Crow’s practice – Village Health Partners – was honored with a 2007 Davies Award in the ambulatory care category from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. Village Health will receive its award at the HIMSS08 Annual Conference & Exhibition in Orlando.

“An EMR software package is an asset to a practice, not an expense,” said Crow. “It’s very important to recognize that. It’s part of the toolkit you need in order to be more efficient and run a better business. This technology should help doctors generate income and get a return on their investment.”

The annual HIMSS Nicholas E. Davies Awards recognize excellence in the implementation and use of healthcare information technology. Joining Village Health Partners as 2007 winners in the ambulatory care category is the Valdez Family Clinic of San Antonio, Texas.