St. Mary's Hospital has announced a partnership with the Department of Defense (DOD) to allow access to the medical records of patients who currently serve in the military, those classified as DOD civilian employees or have retired from the military, along with their dependents.
Under the new partnership, all SSM facilities, physician offices and outpatient facilities across Missouri, Illinois and Oklahoma will be able to share patient records with the DOD and vice versa.
Dr. Richard Vaughn, chief medical information officer for SSM Health, believes the implementation of this electronic health platform will cut hospital costs and help caregivers have access to a more complete medical history of the patient.
"As a result, we can make faster and better care decisions, avoid duplicating expensive tests, and ensure that our DOD patients receive the safest and best care possible," Vaughn said.
Over the past year, SSM has had access to patient records through the Department of Veterans Affairs, which allowed participating facilities to access the records of all patients who have received care at a VA health care facility.
Now, they have taken the partnership a step further expanding the capability of the hospital's interoperabilty network called Epic Care Everywhere. This is an electronic health record system with the ability to connect up to 50 other vendors and has a built-in connection to the federal eHealth Exchange database. The eHealth Exhange is a collaboration among federal agencies and non-federal organizations committed to improving public health reporting.
"Interoperability is not just a buzz word at SSM Health. It's becoming a way of life and a key method to help us continually create a better patient experience and provide better care," Vaughn said.