As healthcare organizations continue to harness technology to improve care delivery, SSM Health remains at the forefront. For the 13th consecutive year, SSM Health has been recognized as one of “HealthCare’s Most Wired,” a prestigious designation awarded by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME).
Since first applying in 2014, SSM Health Integrated Health Technologies (IHT) has earned this distinction every year, reflecting our long-standing commitment to leveraging technology in ways that strengthen operations, support care teams, and improve the patient experience. This achievement is made possible through collaboration across our health ministry and the dedication of team members who continually seek innovative ways to serve our communities.
“This recognition highlights how teams across SSM Health are using technology to improve the way we work and care for those we serve,” said Jason Muldrow, Interim Chief Digital and Information Officer. “By providing clinicians, staff, and IT team members with better information and tools, we are supporting smarter decision-making, increasing efficiency, and giving them back more time to focus on the work that matters most.”
Being recognized as one of the nation's Most Wired health systems reflects how SSM Health is using technology to solve real challenges for patients and caregivers. From reducing administrative burden for clinicians to expanding access to specialty care and making it easier for patients to manage appointments, these digital tools are helping us deliver on our Mission in new ways. Here are three ways those efforts are making a difference.
1. AI clinical assistant and AI clinical insights
AI takes on some of the paperwork, chart review, and administrative tasks that pull clinicians away from patients.
- Better care:
- Care teams get more time and attention for the person in front of them.
- Where people want to work:
- Reducing documentation burden and after-hours charting helps create a better experience for clinicians and makes SSM Health a more attractive place to practice.
2. Telehealth for ICU
Patients at our rural hospitals can access critical-care experts without leaving their community, because those experts work side by side with local care teams.
- Better care:
- Specialized support reaches the bedside when it's needed most.
- Where patients want to come:
- Patients can stay close to home and close to family.
- Where people want to work:
- Local caregivers never face their most complex cases alone, and intensivists can bring their expertise to more patients across the SSM Health system.
3. Easier patient communication by text
Patients can now confirm, reschedule, check in, make an earlier appointment, and pay a bill with a simple text—without an app or a login.
- Where patients want to come:
- Messages are available in 14 languages, making it easier for patients to engage with their care, complete tasks independently and stay on track with appointments.
- Where people want to work:
- Staff make fewer reminder calls and have fewer manual tasks, so they have more time to help patients directly.
The bottom line
When technology is aligned with our Mission, it becomes a powerful tool for serving patients and communities. From reducing administrative burden to expanding access and improving communication, these innovations are helping SSM Health create a better experience for everyone we serve.
More than 50,000 organizations participated in this year's survey. SSM Health was recognized for its digital capabilities across acute, ambulatory and long-term post-acute care, with strengths in several key areas, including:
- Infrastructure
- Security
- Supply Chain
- Analytics
- Population Health
- Patient Engagement
- Quality
- Innovation and Emerging Technologies
- Digital Transformation Priorities
Each participating organization receives a customized benchmarking report that highlights strengths and identifies opportunities for growth, helping guide future digital health investments and strategies.
The 2026 survey continued to emphasize advancing digital capabilities and strategic innovation across the health care industry, helping organizations measure progress against peers of similar size and complexity while identifying opportunities for continued transformation.
For SSM Health, being named among HealthCare's Most Wired organizations is both a recognition of progress and a reminder of the work ahead. By embracing technology, innovation and collaboration, we remain focused on creating a better experience for patients, providers and team members while advancing our Mission of exceptional care for all we serve.
