The International Hospital of Colombia, HIC, has been recertified in EMRAM Level 7 by HIMSS, the highest global standard for digital hospital maturity, remaining the only institution in Colombia with this distinction in force. This places a Colombian hospital — from Santander — in the small group of centers worldwide that fully use electronic records and data to guide care.
Three years after first reaching Stage 7, the 2026 recertification confirms that HIC’s digital transformation is continuous and has concrete effects on patient safety and clinical outcomes. For Colombia, this recognition shows that its health system can produce institutions that meet, and in some areas anticipate, international best practices in digital health.
Digital maturity measured by clinical impact
The EMRAM model, the Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model designed by HIMSS, evaluates hospitals from Stage 0, paper‑based environments, to Stage 7, where only electronic information directs care delivery. Reaching Stage 7 implies integrated electronic records, advanced analytics, decision support tools, and proven gains in quality and efficiency.
In the 2026 process, HIMSS focused less on technology adoption and more on the impact of data on clinical and operational results. Evaluators examined how HIC uses electronic records to support decisions, anticipate risks, improve workflow, and maintain continuity of care for patients across services.
According to Carolina Aguirre Navas, director of Medical Informatics at the Fundacion Cardiovascular de Colombia, which manages the hospital, the key is an organizational culture that uses data appropriately at all levels and translates information into safer, more efficient care. In that sense, sustaining EMRAM 7 works as a marker of clinical‑digital governance, not simply of technology.
AI tools, telemonitoring, and cybersecurity at the core
During the evaluation, HIMSS highlighted several solutions that exemplify HIC’s digital model. One of them is MOE, the Medical Observation Engine, an artificial intelligence tool that monitors hospitalized and surgical patients to predict and prevent risk events before they become emergencies. Another pillar is the Telemonitoring Center, dedicated to early detection of critical changes and remote follow‑up, which strengthens continuity of care.
In documentation and efficiency, the SAHISmart project, an AI‑based transcription support tool integrated into the electronic record, was singled out for improving productivity and offering better support for clinical decision making. By reducing time spent on manual note‑taking and generating alerts, it frees doctors to focus more on interaction with patients and families.
HIMSS also underlined HIC’s comprehensive cybersecurity strategy, which includes a dedicated office and processes to protect information and ensure service continuity. In reality, for Colombian patients, this invisible layer of digital protection is as important as visible technology, because it safeguards data while the hospital expands digital services.
What this leadership means for Colombia
For Colombia’s health sector, having a hospital that sustains EMRAM 7 has several implications. International studies forecast that many hospitals worldwide will not achieve Stage 7 before 2035, which underscores how unusual it is to maintain this level in a middle‑income country. The HIC case demonstrates that Colombian institutions can build advanced data warehouses, analytics, and interoperable records on par with top global centers.
However, experts warn that a single world‑class institution does not solve structural challenges in Colombia’s health system. The gap between a Stage‑7 hospital and facilities that still rely heavily on paper raises questions about interoperability, equitable access, and how to spread digital benefits beyond one flagship center.
With recertification, HIC has set a new target: Achieving the HIMSS “quadruple crown”, four maximum‑level certifications that only two hospitals worldwide have obtained so far. If a Colombian hospital reaches that milestone, it would further consolidate the country’s reputation as an emerging reference in digital health for Latin America and beyond.