UVM Health Completes Third Phase of Epic EHR Implementation

The University of Vermont Health Network (UVM) has completed the third phase of its Epic EHR implementation, according to reporting from Vermont Business Magazine.

After years of preparation and work, the EHR went live at UVM’s Northern New York hospitals and ambulatory clinics.

UVM Health leaders and Epic Systems have spent hours to ensure the transition went smoothly, including EHR training for staff as they adapt to the new system.

This implementation is expected to increase coordination, improve patient care, and enhance care at Alice Hyde Medical Center (AHMC), Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH), and Elizabethtown Community Hospital (ECH).

“A unified electronic health record truly connects our Network and allows us the ability to provide a seamless experience for our patients,” John R. Brumsted, MD, president and chief executive officer of UVM Health Network said in a public statement. “I am incredibly grateful to our team who made this implementation possible and to the staff and providers who trained many hours to be able to use the system. This is a major step forward for our patients and our people.”

The transition was impactful for both patients and hospital employees providing care, hospital leaders in Northern New York facilities stated.

“An electronic health record supports a whole new level of engagement for our facilities, our healthcare teams, and those in our care,” said Michelle LeBeau, RN, BS, MHRM, president of both AHMC and CVPH. “It will serve as the foundation from which our health network will build a truly integrated and seamless experience for both our patients and our people.”

“The Epic EHR is a tremendous tool that will support our teams as they continue to make positive impacts on the health and wellness of people across the North Country,” LeBeau added.

Through the integration, patients will be able to gain access to Epic’s patient portal, MyChart. With this portal, patients will have 24-hour access to self-schedule appointments, check lab and test results online, and request prescription refills.

“This is a major advancement for our patients and our care teams,” Bob Ortmyer, president of ECH, said. “Implementing this system means our patients will have the ability to access their health records electronically and all of the providers they see will also have ready access to their health records, no matter where in our health network they are coming from or where they ultimately receive care.”

Additionally, providers across the network will gain patient data sharing abilities and access to patient health information, enabling better care coordination to improve patient health outcomes.

“Supporting more timely information-sharing among providers and enabling patients to be more active participants in their care plans through the online portal MyChart, are important indications of how UVM Health Network is improving care for patients throughout the communities we serve,” Ortmyer added.

The multi-million-dollar network-wide transition project was first approved in 2018 by The Green Mountain Care Board and then again in 2020 to include implementation of the system at Alice Hyde Medical Center and Elizabethtown Community Hospital.

In 2019, the first phase of the EHR project launched, fully implementing an Epic EHR System at the University of Vermont Medical Center and partially implementing the EHR at Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC), Porter Medical Center (PMC), and CVPH.

The second phase of the project in 2021 included full implementation of the EHR at CVMC, PMC, and Helen Porter Rehabilitation and Nursing Middlebury in Vermont. In addition, the second phase of the implementation added surgical services, rehabilitation, inpatient hospital, and emergency department visits into the EHR systems.

The final phase plans to implement the EHR at UVM Health Network Home Health & Hospice but is currently under a Certificate of Need review with the State of Vermont’s Green Mountain Care Board.