Patients will soon have a new simple, secure way to manage their health and wellness information electronically at Mount Desert Island Hospital and Health Centers. Set for a March 2022 go live, the Cerner CommunityWorks electronic health record (EHR) platform was selected because it is specifically designed to meet the needs of critical access and community hospitals.
“We’re excited to implement this upgraded system that will offer our community a new, streamlined patient portal and enhanced technology and security,” said Chrissi Maguire, President/CEO of MDI Hospital. “Our entire team has been working diligently to bring this new system online and we are so grateful for their dedication and effort as we approach our go live for this major milestone.”
With the installation of Cerner CommunityWorks, hospital and health center patients will have access to a new fully integrated web portal. The new portal will offer a single source for patients to view their latest lab results, review their most recent trip to the doctor’s office or learn what to expect at an upcoming appointment. The comprehensive platform is also designed to increase patient-provider communication and enhance early intervention potential.
“The new Cerner EHR will have all the information for an individual patient on one platform instead of in three separate applications,” said Dr. David Sugerman, Emergency Department Director. “With this integrated system, emergency department providers will have a much more in-depth database to help make informed decisions and improve patient care.”
With this platform, patient records will be more readily available at all MDI Hospital and Health Center locations. The system will also provide better access to patient record sharing to and from out-of-network providers. “By having everything in one place, we can spend less time on the computer and more time with our patients,” said Hospitalist Dr. Jennifer Lipka.
When the system goes live, patients may notice that a little more time is needed at their first several appointments. “We’re putting in extra hours to make sure everything goes smoothly, but we do expect a few delays as we get our new system up and running,” said Maguire. “We want to thank everyone for their patience in advance as we make this vital technology upgrade.”
During this time, MDI Hospital and Health Centers will have extra personnel on hand to assist with the transition. Once the system is up and running, patients can look forward to faster registration and check-in, a single, easy-to-use patient portal and an easier way to view and pay their bill.
MDI Hospital will be hosting a Community Forum held via Zoom on March 21, 2022, from 1:00-2:00 PM EDT to help answer questions about the new platform. For more information or to register for this virtual event, please email us at events@mdihospital.org.