Ochsner Health System’s newest hospital acquisition, Ochsner St. Mary, has implemented Epic Systems EHR to increase interoperability and enhance patient care.
Ochsner St. Mary, a newly acquired hospital by Ochsner Health System, has implemented an Epic Systems EHR to increase interoperability between the hospital and the health system’s 40-plus hospitals in Louisiana.
In March 2019, Ochsner partnered with Ochsner St. Mary, formerly known as Teche Regional Medical Center. As a part of the agreement, Ochsner Health System agreed to pay the $6 million Epic installation fee to implement the EHR software. Now implemented, Ochsner St. Mary is fully connected to the health system and its partners.
A patient within the Ochsner Health System can easily make her health records accessible to a separate hospital in the health system, or an independent hospital out of Ochsner’s system that also uses Epic. Ochsner clinicians or clinicians at a hospital on the Epic system can also view or access any EHR, which improves clinician communication and patient care.
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“We are pleased to offer Epic to Ochsner St. Mary patients and bring them the benefits of this leading health technology,” said Fernis LeBlanc, CEO of Ochsner St. Mary.
“Epic allows patient information to be securely accessed by all Ochsner providers, meaning that no matter where a patient chooses to visit, the medical staff at that facility will have full access to the patient’s medical record, ensuring the highest quality of care.”
Patients will also be able to access Ochsner’s patient portal, MyOchsner.
Using the patient portal, the patient can schedule appointments, place orders for prescription refills, communicate with providers, access health education materials, pay bills online, and view both health history and lab results. Patients can access the patient portal on their mobile phone or computer.
Ochsner St. Mary, an acute care facility with 164 beds, cares for individuals of St. Mary Parish and the nearby community. The hospital provides an intensive care unit, maternity suites, inpatient behavioral health, occupational and speech therapy, inpatient and outpatient units, and an around-the-clock emergency department.
This partnership and subsequent EHR implementation prove to be another step towards increased interoperability at Ochsner Health System.
Late last year, Ochsner established a strategic technologic partnership with Rush Health System, the most extensive health system in Mississippi and Alabama, to implement a new Epic EHR and leverage Ochsner’s existing telehealth capabilities.
This partnership increased Ochsner’s local healthcare services, while Rush gained access to Ochsner’s upgraded billing practices and support services to boost the patient and provider experience.
“Rush and Ochsner both have longstanding traditions of innovation and excellence in medical care and services,” Larkin Kennedy, president and CEO of Rush Health Systems, said at the time of the partnership.
Ochsner implemented the Epic EHR, to improve care coordination, patient registration, scheduling, and clinical integration, while also streamlining the billing process between hospitals in its health system.
“Our strategic partnership with Rush represents our joint commitment to bringing innovative solutions and best-in-class technology to communities throughout the region,” Warner Thomas, Ochsner president and CEO, said at the time of the partnership.
“At Ochsner, we believe the best care is local care and this partnership provides Rush physicians and patients greater access to the depth and breadth of operational innovation and specialized care for which Ochsner is nationally recognized, while remaining right here in Mississippi and Alabama.”
This extended technological partnership expanded the surviving business agreement between Rush and Ochsner. In 2018, Rush implemented Ochsner’s TeleStroke program, providing around-the-clock neurovascular care. Nurses and physicians at Rush hospitals can contact vascular neurologists at Ochsner, utilizing telemedicine equipment for immediate treatment options.
Source: EHR Intelligence