ILWACO — Over the next two months, Ocean Beach Hospital and Medical Clinics. Both the hospital and clinics will begin using OBH launches Electronic Medical Health Records, or EMRs. At the end of October, the hospital will launch Healthland, a medical record system often used in smaller hospitals. The clinics have already begun to use the patient-scheduling components of NextGen, a clinic-based system, as they work toward full use of EMRs with all patient-care aspects in early December.
“We are excited as an organization, and remain centered on the patient experience as we implement our electronic health records,” reports Linda Kaino, chief nursing officer at Ocean Beach Hospital. “The project has been intense, and involves all aspects of the hospital, from patient care areas, to purchasing, dietary, payroll and human resources. Everything will be integrated within a single system at the hospital, and key information from the clinic’s EMR will also be connected.”
Ocean Beach Hospital and Medical Clinics adopted an EMR at an opportune time as the federal government is offering reimbursement for a large portion of the costs. By implementing the EMR now, the hospital avoids eventual financial penalties, which will be assessed on any organization that does not have an EMR in the future.
Generally speaking, an EMR is the electronic documentation of patient health information generated in a healthcare setting — for example, in a hospital, clinic, home health or long-term care facility. The record includes important information such as: patient demographics, progress notes, medical history, medications, immunizations and laboratory data. EMRs enables healthcare providers to quickly and easily view patient information. The system’s unique single patient chart is accessible in real time. It can help an organization be more efficient, improve communication, and reduce costs by more effectively managing patient records.
In addition, it can increase compliance with regulatory healthcare requirements, and ultimately increase the amount of reimbursement a hospital or clinic receives from insurance agencies or Medicare or Medicaid.
