Riverwood Healthcare Center is moving to a more advanced, integrated electronic medical record system called Excellian on April 1, 2016.
Excellian, an Epic software product, is part of the most widely used electronic medical record system in the United States. With a patient’s consent, this software gives access to a single medical record among all of the organizations using Excellian (including Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis Heart Institute, Cuyuna Regional Medical Center and others). This gives healthcare providers the most up-to-date information about a patient’s medical history, allowing for improved care. For a list of organizations using Excellian, visit www.allinahealth.org/medicalrecords
Preparations for the implementation of the Excellian system, which is being made available through Allina Health, began last summer, followed by intensive training of Riverwood’s staff over the past few months. To support the transition during the first week of implementation, April 1-7, designated support staff from Allina Health and Riverwood (wearing red or purple vests) will be on site assisting healthcare professionals as needed as they begin using the new electronic medical record system at Riverwood’s hospital and clinics in Aitkin, Garrison and McGregor.
As three new consent forms are needed for each patient, Riverwood expects the transition to the new electronic medical record system to create minor delays in registration for medical appointments for a few months.
“The decision to move to the new Excellian electronic medical record system is an investment in continuing to ensure we are consistently providing the safest and highest quality care to our patients,” explains Chad Copper, Riverwood chief executive officer. “The Excellian platform allows us to integrate both our hospital and clinic electronic records into a single, integrated system. Additionally, the ability to seamlessly share information with other health care providers with whom we partner will enhance patient care. On behalf of our staff, I would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to all of our patients for understanding that the check-in process for clinic appointments will necessarily take a bit longer in the months ahead as we work through the transition and go-live.”
Online access to manage health care For the past few years, Riverwood has been providing its patients the option to gain online access to manage their health care via a patient portal on its website. With the new medical record system, patients may now sign up for an online MyChart account to schedule or cancel clinic appointments, receive lab results, email a question to their clinic and much more. Riverwood patients who are interested in signing up for MyChart can get an activation code from clinic registration staff members. Informational fliers will be available in the hospital and clinic lobbies.
Effective April 1, all online patient communications will be done through MyChart. Riverwood is informing current patient portal users how to make the transition to a new online account. The current patient portal will remain open for “view only” purposes for several more months.
For convenient and secure ongoing use, patients who sign up for MyChart will be able to access their online account via a link at www.riverwoodhealthcare.org