Hospital records get upgrade

SUPERIOR – The Mineral Community Hospital celebrated the implementation of their new electronic record system with a staff barbeque May 20 at the hospital.

NextGen will allow the health facility to keep patient records and charts electronically, instead of writing everything out by hand. Patients will also be able to have prescriptions sent electronically to the pharmacy of their choice, as well as having access to a patient portal.

“We want to thank the community for being patient with us,” said Deb Green, business manager at the hospital.

Green also streamlined most of the implementation process. 

Some patients may notice that bills look different then before, and may be asked different questions during the registration process, according to Green. 

“This facility really went from a paper system to an electronic record, which is a big step,” Green said. “Everything was truly on paper. When in doubt, we can still default back to a paper system if necessary.”

A new patient portal will also be coming in the near future, which will allow people to log in to the NextGen system to view their account charges, and medical records. It wouldn’t be a mandatory sign up, but those wishing to do so would be provided with a username and password. 

“The next step would be to get people to actually use the system instead of just signing up for it,” Green said. 

However, some patients may still prefer the old paper method and may feel like doctors and staff are just busy typing instead of listening to their concerns. The perception may be different for various patients, Green said. 

“If people still need records information, we can print it off and bill insurance as a courtesy,” Green said. 

Doctors will have the ability to schedule tests and appointments within the system as well. 

“We do have a new outpatient registration area so people don’t have to go through the emergency room to get things like labs and X-rays done,” Green said. 

Even though the hospital officially released the system on March 18, the changeover process had to be smoothed out. Patients weren’t being billed correctly, and the software continued to crash.  

“We’re doing a lot of back stepping to make sure the patients are being charged properly,” Green said. 

Even with the problems, NextGen officials have been on hand to keep the software running properly, helping out every step of the way. 

The hospital is also looking to meet a meaningful use standard, which if all requirements are met, there is a possibility for a government incentive. The incentive would essentially provide the hospital with a return on their investment. 

The testing for meaningful use will occur on June 1, and could be approved within 90 days. 

“Other local hospitals in Ronan, Plains and Kalispell have similar systems, and everyone is working through related issues as well,” Green said.