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Tribal Healthcare System Selects MEDITECH Cloud-Based EHR

Winnebago Comprehensive Healthcare System and 36 other healthcare organizations tapped the MEDITECH cloud-based EHR platform in 2023.

Hannah Nelson
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Published: 18 Jan 2024

Winnebago Comprehensive Healthcare System recently signed an agreement to adopt a cloud-based EHR from health IT vendor MEDITECH.

The Tribal Healthcare System serves 10,000 Native American beneficiaries who live on the Winnebago Reservation and in the surrounding three-state region of Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota.

"MEDITECH Expanse offered us the most flexibility to suit our unique needs as a Tribal Healthcare System, along with being price competitive," said Austin Schanzenbach, Winnebago's chief transformation officer.

"The list of reasons why we are excited about moving to MEDITECH over our existing EHR would be exhaustive," Schanzenbach continued. "It will be like moving from a bicycle with a rusty chain to a well-maintained automobile."

The cloud-hosted tool, MEDITECH as a Service (MaaS), delivers the MEDITECH Expanse EHR through a subscription model.

"The MaaS model is a very desirable option for those organizations looking to deploy a modern, intelligent EHR without the extensive upfront capital or staffing demands of an on-premise solution," Carol Labadini, MEDITECH vice president, said in a press release.

"But unlike with other hosted models in the industry, MaaS customers get the same mobile, web-native Expanse solution as everyone else, without breaking their budget or sacrificing their independence to another health system," Labadini added.

Nonprofit Health System Taps NextGen EHR and Behavioral Health Suite

Spectrum Healthcare, one of Arizona's largest nonprofit healthcare providers, has partnered with health IT vendor NextGen Healthcare on a project to address Arizona's shortage of primary and behavioral health resources.

Spectrum will adopt the NextGen Enterprise EHR, as well as a set of additional tools, including a practice management solution and the NextGen Behavioral Health Suite, to drive interoperability and enhance clinical workflows.

According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, 82 areas across the state are medically underserved. Additionally, over 2.8 million Arizona residents live in a community with a shortage of mental health professionals, according to NAMI Arizona, an affiliate of The National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Spectrum's mission is to fill these care gaps by providing integrated, whole-person care for all individuals. In addition to providing care at seven locations statewide, Spectrum offers telehealth and in-home services, operates mobile crisis teams, and partners with local school systems for on-campus student care.

"For nearly six decades, we have been dedicated to bringing vital services to our communities and ensuring accessible, whole-person care for our communities," April Rhodes, chief executive officer of Spectrum Healthcare, said in a public statement.

"We chose NextGen Healthcare as our partner because of our shared vision for using innovative technology solutions to elevate healthcare delivery and address Arizona's shortage of healthcare providers," Rhodes continued.

North Dakota Care Org Deploys Epic EHR to Drive Patient Experience

An Epic EHR implementation at Essentia Health-Mid Dakota Clinics in Bismarck, North Dakota, is set to optimize the patient and clinician experience.   

The deployment will provide patients with a secure web-based or mobile portal to access personal health information, schedule appointments, and interact with their care team. The MyChart patient portal is set to make it easier for Essentia's Bismarck patients to coordinate their care and health records across Essentia's facilities in North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

"The transition to Epic enhances the patient experience with Essentia Health, not only in Bismarck but to specialists throughout our health system," Rachel Lawlor, vice president of clinic operations at Essentia Health-Mid Dakota Clinic, said in a press release.

"The MyChart portal empowers individuals with access to their personal health information and fosters a proactive approach to well-being," Lawlor added. "New and established patients in the Bismarck area are encouraged to create their own MyChart account. The benefits of this transition will be shared by physicians, staff, and our patients."

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