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SoutheastHEALTH Joins Mercy, Gaining Access to Epic EHR System

A definitive agreement between Mercy and SoutheastHEALTH will merge the health systems, providing the latter access to the Epic EHR system.

By
  • Sarai Rodriguez
Published: 04 Aug 2023

SoutheastHEALTH is set to join Mercy's multi-hospital system through a recently signed definitive agreement, a move that will allow the health system to leverage Mercy's Epic EHR system.

This agreement aims to bolster patient-provider communication and integrate clinical services, along with enhancing the financial and billing processes.

SoutheastHEALTH selected Mercy as a partner due to its financial robustness, resources, and proximity, which are seen as solutions to current challenges like inflation, workforce shortages, and the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Rather than address these challenges in the short term, we sought a solution that would create strength and growth for SoutheastHEALTH not only for years, but for decades to come,” Ken Bateman, president of SoutheastHEALTH, said according to reporting from Southeast Missourian.

The affiliation process began in January with a signed letter of intent, which set the stage for SoutheastHEALTH to join one of the largest healthcare systems in the United States.

Post-transition, the healthcare system is likely to rebrand as Mercy Southeast, enjoying full access to integrated software benefits, including the Epic EHR system.

“I think many employees will notice the additional resources that Mercy will bring to the table. The intent is to put us on the Epic EMR. That will be a huge lift for them to implement, but it will be a huge benefit for our clinical team,” Bateman said.

“I believe within the next five years, the things that are helping now with AI, technology and other aspects are going to enter into healthcare in a rapid pace. That’s where Mercy will help us keep our costs down and keep us technologically advanced, and that’s where I think the patients will benefit as well as the hospital.”

Patients will also be able to access Epic’s MyChart patient portal.

Using the patient portal, the patient can schedule appointments, place orders for prescription refills, communicate with providers, and view both health history and lab results. Patients can access the patient portal on their mobile phone or computer.

Springfield Clinic Connects Over 675 Providers With athenahealth EHR System

Springfield Clinic is adopting the athenahealth EHR system across all its locations in 20 Illinois counties, unifying over 675 providers in 80 medical specialties.

Officials from Springfield Clinic expressed that they needed technology that could improve provider, staff, and patient experiences.

“We sought an EHR platform that wasn’t only more physician friendly, but also more patient friendly, and we have found that in athenaOne,” said Ray Williams, chief executive officer of Springfield Clinic. "The athenaOne portal represents a significant upgrade, and athenahealth’s overall focus on a more modern and convenient patient journey aligns with our philosophy at Springfield Clinic, where a high-quality patient experience is the highest priority."

The ideal solution needed to foster interoperability, integrating patient data from various community health systems into the physician workflow. This would allow for informed decision-making during consultations.

After a thorough evaluation, officials concluded that athenaOne was the best fit for their needs. The system is expected to ease workflow challenges for staff and providers, present a comprehensive view of patient information at the point of care, and provide the necessary flexibility to accommodate the clinic's growing and changing requirements.

“With our physicians leading the selection process, it quickly became apparent that athenaOne would make their lives much easier,” commented Rolando Cabral, chief information and transformation officer of Springfield Clinic.

“We could all see athenahealth puts a lot of attention into the user experience, making it intuitive, consistent, and easy to use,” Cabral added. “We are really impressed that the interface was designed to work like our physicians work, and that our physicians will have meaningful patient data available from other care settings, applications, and IT systems when they need it most.”

HealthTexas Medical Group Enhanced Care Quality with eClinicalWorks EHR Tools

HealthTexas Medical Group has achieved a 5-star customer quality rating across several healthcare screenings in part by leveraging the eClinicalWorks Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) platform.

eClinicalWorks’ HEDIS tool allowed HealthTexas to track patient compliance through alerts and reminders, leading to substantial improvements in 2022, the medical group officials stated.

This approach not only aimed to pinpoint gaps in care but also enhanced patient engagement and adherence to treatment.

By utilizing the HEDIS tool, HealthTexas Medical Group aimed to improve quality measurement ratings in screenings. Their efforts resulted in diabetic eye exams soaring from a 1-star to a 5-star rating.

Additionally, both blood pressure control and colorectal screenings climbed from a 3-star to a 5-star rating. The final advancement was seen in breast cancer screenings, which progressed from a 4-star to a 5-star rating.

“Patient satisfaction is one of the most crucial parts of any healthcare practice, so we chose a multidimensional EHR that provides vast clinical insights so we can provide exceptional care,” said Kip Porter, director of clinical applications at HealthTexas Medical Group. “With HEDIS, data is accessible in real time, all in one place, which helps our providers meet quality measures and streamline their systems to provide greater patient satisfaction.”

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