A new partnership between St. Louis County health leaders and SSM Health seeks to streamline healthcare services.
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Health leaders in St. Louis County have announced a new partnership with SSM Health, which they believe will help streamline local healthcare.
At the St. Louis County Health Department, officials are celebrating a milestone that’s been years in the making.
“We’ve launched a new electronic medical records system that enables seamless patient communication—from their doorstep all the way through our health centers,” said Derrick Melton, CEO of FQHC.
In the past, physicians like Dr. Alex Garza had to rely on handwritten notes to keep track of patient information—records that weren’t easily shared between providers.
“If you’re like me and old enough to remember paper charts, you’ll recall digging through stacks of documents just to figure out why a patient came in last week or last month,” said Dr. Alex Garza, SSM Health Chief Community Health Officer. “What medications were they on? What was started or stopped?”
A new partnership between SSM Health and the St. Louis County Health Department aims to change all that. The initiative will use software that allows medical records to be shared digitally among healthcare providers.
“Now, no matter where a patient goes in the country, the physician or provider will have access to their medical history,” said Derrick Melton, CEO of FQHC.
Dr. Garza added, “Being able to pull up a patient’s history, their medications, and other health issues on a computer saves an incredible amount of time.”
The benefits extend beyond convenience. The system can also save patients money by reducing duplicate testing.
“It really cuts down on reordering lab tests, imaging, and other procedures because all the results are right there,” Garza explained.
Additionally, the software can flag potential problems with prescriptions, helping healthcare providers in their ultimate mission.
“It will definitely help save lives,” Melton said.
The St. Louis County Medical Examiner’s Office will also adopt the technology, using it to review patients’ medical histories to help determine causes of death. Notably, it’s the first medical examiner’s office in the country to use this software in such a way.
