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South Peninsula Hospital (SPH) will roll out a new electronic health record (EHR) in August. Known throughout the industry as Epic, and with a patient portal named MyChart, this new EHR is expected to help streamline care and improve experience for both the patients and the staff who provide their care. This change will happen in all patient care areas except Long Term Care and Home Health, which are separately licensed facilities. The go-live dates are Saturday, August 9 at the hospital and Monday, August 11 at the clinics.
Patient experience was a motivating factor in choosing Epic, especially in regards to ease of transferring medical records. According to Rachael Kincaid, Chief Operating Officer, patient satisfaction is expected to improve with this transition. “It’s understandable why Epic is the most common electronic health record system in the country. I appreciate its ‘one patient, one record’ philosophy, as well as its best practice recommendations. This conversion will significantly enhance the way we care for patients and manage their medical records,” said Kincaid.
The transition for patients is expected to be pretty seamless, but a few important steps will be necessary on one’s first visit after the rollout. Patients visiting any SPH clinic or service after August 8 will be asked to update basic information, and provide their driver’s license, ID and insurance card. An email will then link the patient to the log-in for the new patient portal where they will find much of their patient care information has transferred from the former EHR. The older portals will remain available for the foreseeable future to allow patients to access the content as needed.
From requesting an appointment or medication refills, to seeing test results or communicating with your provider, the new user-friendly portal MyChart should be well received. Users will be able to make payments, complete check-in forms, and access information for not only themselves, but for the family members they care for. And of great importance, MyChart connects you to records from other visits to offices utilizing Epic, in the past or going forward, all with one user name and password.
After selecting Epic as the preferred vendor in 2022, SPH worked to make it a reality. Epic offers “Community Connect,” a program that allows small hospitals to enroll under larger hospital licenses for a fraction of the cost. “Implementing a stand-alone Epic system was simply beyond what a small community hospital like SPH could afford,” said Anna Hermanson, Chief Finance Officer. “This makes what would normally be impossible a real consideration for us and other small entities.”
The Kenai Peninsula Borough, the owner of the hospital, granted a loan for the startup costs, and Providence Alaska agreed to add SPH to its Community Connect program, joining Central Peninsula Hospital and other smaller entities statewide. “Partnering with Providence’s electronic health system should create a more seamless, coordinated experience for patients,” said Hermanson. Users of the portal might see providence.org as the originating address on some correspondence, but that is strictly based on the software licensing. According to Hermanson, the partnership does not change South Peninsula Hospital’s independence, and relates only to the electronic health record framework and subscription.
“We are excited to offer this to the patients. Our current system is decades old, does not meet patient expectations and is not compatible with systems around the state or nation. This will be a huge improvement for both the patients and the staff,” said Kincaid. She expressed her gratitude to the community for their patience and understanding during the transition over the coming weeks and months.
EPIC FAQs
- Why is SPH getting a new electronic health record system? Simply put, it’s best for our patients and their care teams. Epic streamlines managing and sharing medical records with a user-friendly portal. Also, it reduces the number of systems patients and providers need to manage, allows us to connect with other healthcare systems easily, and reduces manual processes that can lead to errors.
- What’s Epic and what’s MyChart? Epic is the system for providers to manage your record and information; MyChart is the portal for you to access it and has the patient-friendly features.
- How do I set up my MyChart account? Is there a deadline to do so? Do I have to enroll? There are two ways to get started. If you already have been seen at a location that utilizes Epic, then you already have a MyChart account, and you just log in and select South Peninsula Hospital in locations. (note – this will be visible on August 9) If you’re new to Epic, you will receive an email after making an appointment or visiting a clinic that will bring you to the setup page. It is not mandatory to enroll, and there is not a deadline, but it is necessary if you want to access any records related to visits after August 9.
- Why does South Peninsula Hospital’s MyChart page show providence.org in the address and the Providence logo on the login page? South Peninsula Hospital is fortunate to be included in the “Community Connect” program offered by Epic, which allows small hospitals to enroll under larger hospital or system licenses for just a fraction of the cost. South Peninsula Hospital is joining Central Peninsula Hospital and other small entities statewide under Providence’s account. This partnership relates only to the electronic health record framework and does not change the hospital’s independence as a locally owned and operated community hospital.
- What if I already have a MyChart Account from another hospital? That’s the great thing about Epic: one person, one account, one health record! Your MyChart account is the place of record for any location utilizing Epic. Once you are logged in, you’ll be able to select the specific locations to merge your records together. Note: South Peninsula Hospital will become available as a location on August 9.
- Do I need to transfer my records to MyChart? Nope! We’ve already done the work of transferring all the patient care information available to export. Information older than three years old will not transfer, but you can still access that in the other portals.
- What happens to my Athena and MyCareCorner accounts? Both accounts will stay open and accessible into the foreseeable future, which means that you can log in to those to check older information anytime. However, we recommend downloading your information for your own records. You can also always request copies from the SPH Medical Records office at (907) 235-0232.
- Can I view a family member’s medical record in MyChart? Can they view mine? A parent or legal caregiver can view the records of their dependents. Yours are only visible if you have a legal caregiver.
- What should I do if some of my information in MyChart is incorrect or missing? If you see something that’s incorrect, please let us know at your next visit, or call the clinic or provider of record. Some information older than three years old did not transfer, so you will have to log into the older portals to access that information.
- Is my information secure? Yes, Epic protects your data through a combination of technical safeguards, administrative procedures and physical security measures. From encryption and user authentication to audit trailes and policies, data security and integrity are a priority!
- Can I use MyChart to communicate with my provider? Yes! From sending secure messages to requesting an appointment, MyChart will make it easy to communicate with your care team.
- Do I need to use MyChart to pay my bill? You don’t have to, but it’s quick and easy, and MyChart has support available 24/7 for your convenience.