The New York Department of Health and NYC Health + Hospitals have implemented Epic Systems EHR to boost interoperability and patient data access at Manhattan’s Javits Center during the coronavirus pandemic.
Due to the overcrowding of health facilities in the New York City area, the Javits Center has been recreated into a 1,000-bed hospital for COVID-19 patients.
“Epic has a long history of working with New York and its hospital systems during a crisis—from keeping critical systems available during 9/11, to capacity management and moving patients between sites during Hurricane Sandy,” said Epic Vice President of Client Success, Eric Helsher.
“The system was activated Monday night at 8pm. As patients move throughout New York, from the emergency room to a field hospital, providers have the important information they need.”
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Once a patient arrives at the hospital, they are placed into a bed. The clinician can then check the EHR network to find the patient’s health record. If the health record is found, then it will be available to view and access on the EHR interface.
Using the EHR, the clinician can access the patient’s allergies and medications, while also being able to chart the visit.
Once the patient leaves the hospital, she can access patient portal to follow up with the doctor and review her stay.
“NYC Health + Hospitals has a deep history of engaging in important partnerships that helps the system transcend boundaries and reach New Yorkers to provide the health care they need and deserve, and we view our support of this initiative as part of that history,” said Kim Mendez, Corporate Chief Information Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals.
While New York health systems are working to properly staff the hospital, Epic is working with NYC Health + Hospitals to set up the EHR system and remotely train the staff.
Epic is providing COVID-19 assistance at no cost.
“It’s critical to have partners in the private sector so our military and health department staff at the Javits Center can focus on the job at hand, caring for as many patients as possible,” said Francoise Pickart, Javits’ process lead. “This technology helps doctors and hospitals exchange information more easily so we can provide better and safer care.”
Last week, Epic Systems and OCHIN partnered to launch the COVID-19 Preparedness App, aiming to improve interoperability, care coordination, and overall clinical readiness in Washington state, where the country’s first confirmed case of the pandemic occurred.
In an effort to limit the number of individuals who are visiting local health facilities and triage sites, the new mobile EHR app allows for patient screening and triage on smartphones.
“This is an unprecedented, innovative solution for rapidly building capacity in the face of this growing public health emergency,” said Abby Sears, CEO at OCHIN. “We applaud the leadership of the state of Washington and the generosity and foresight of Epic as we stand together in this crisis.”
Patients are able to access a self-screen for potential coronavirus symptoms and find local care sites. Meanwhile, citizen volunteers can use the app to help providers triage potential patients when health resources cannot immediately be accessed. The app can also monitor the state’s data trends on a county-by-county basis to identify areas where the virus is most prevalent.
Along with the COVID-19 Preparedness App, Epic is using its software to identify potential cases and limit the spread of the virus. It’s also one of the first EHR vendors to make updates to its system and come up with a plan for how it can help its customers.
Source: EHR Intelligence