“One patient, one record” is now a reality across Tanner Health System.
On Sunday, Nov. 3, the entire health system went live with the new Epic electronic health record.
With Epic, each patient’s entire health record is immediately accessible from providers throughout the organization.
Whether a patient’s needs lead them to one of Tanner’s five hospitals, almost 40 physician practices, three urgent cares, four emergency departments or any of the health system’s outpatient services like diagnostic imaging or an infusion center, their health information is on a single health record.
The new platform will lead to more accurate, efficient and improved care and a better experience for patients.
And, with patients able to access their information directly through the Tanner MyChart patient portal, members of the community are empowered to play a greater role in their health.
The EpicFocus project was a 14-month endeavor to improve patient care and efficiency at Tanner with the implementation of Epic, the No. 1 electronic health record in the United States. The Epic platform secures the vital health records of more than 250 million people worldwide.
Implementation required building a new Tanner-tailored electronic health record by a team of more than 100 IT and healthcare professionals, supported by Epic, and training and preparation of the more than 3,400 Tanner team members to use the new system while providing care for patients.
“This is an exciting time to be a part of Tanner, whether you’re a patient or a part of the Tanner team,” said Loy Howard, president and CEO of Tanner. “Our Epic implementation is the largest and most transformative change in our history. Our team members have risen to the challenge. Almost all have undergone hours of preparation and training, whether to provide input early on to make the system work its best for Tanner or to train on how to use the system — all the while caring for our patients.”
Prior to the implementation, Tanner facilities utilized three different health record platforms in its hospitals, emergency departments and physician practices — in addition to several smaller specialty department records.
While the information was available, it wasn’t always quickly accessible or current. Patients were often asked by several caregivers about routine information such as current medicines and allergies on the same visit to ensure accuracy.
Now, healthcare providers will be able to quickly and easily access the patient’s current health information from a single source, including care received at non-Tanner facilities due to the expansive coverage of Epic.
“One of the most visible benefits patients will see is the availability of the Tanner MyChart portal, which was launched initially by Tanner in its Tanner Medical Group practices in July and is now available for inpatient services as well,” said Greg Schulenburg, senior vice president and chief information officer for Tanner who led the EpicFocus project.
The new online application is accessible on computers, tablets and smartphones, providing patients with 24/7 access to their healthcare information.
With
Tanner MyChart, they can complete a variety of healthcare-related tasks — such as scheduling appointments, ordering prescription refills and paying their physician and hospital bills. Those with dependent children or elderly family members can also make proxy arrangements to access and manage their information and healthcare activities.
“Patients are already handling a lot of their day-to-day tasks electronically, so their health care should not be an exception,” said Schulenburg.
Tanner is helping patients sign up for Tanner MyChart during doctor’s visits as well as inpatient and outpatient care at its hospitals. Benefits and sign-up details are available on Tanner’s website at
tanner.org/mychart.
A video, “
Tanner MyChart Patient Portal,” is also available on the Tanner Health System YouTube channel.
More than 7,500 patients have already signed up for the portal since the July launch, and Tanner is sweetening the offering by automatically enrolling patients in a special sweepstakes to win an Amazon Fire tablet, with monthly drawings through January. Sweepstakes details are available at
tanner.org/mychart-tablet-giveaway.