Care Connect, an Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system using EPIC software at Newark-Wayne Community Hospital, will allow doctors and technicians to access patient records, with permission, at any location. Doctors will be able to look at lab results, x-rays and a patient’s medical history at the click of a button, thusconnecting patients and their records virtually anywhere a patient might be seeking medical care. The EMR system was jointly launched with ts affiliate, Rochester General Hospital.

Care Connect is a 2-year project, costing $65 million.The project was to convert the entire Rochester General Health System from a combination of independent paper-based and computer-based patient record systems to a single, fully-integrated electronic system that will significantly enhance quality and patient safety as well as the efficiency and effectiveness of care provided to all patients.

The launch of the new system at Newark-Wayne went smoothly largely due to years of planning, extensive training and testing. Doctors affiliated with Rochester General Health System have been equipped with the software to allow them to access the records as well. In addition, Rochester General Health System is partnering with Wayne County physicians to assure they have, with the patient’s explicit permission, access to the patient’s most up-to-date records to further improve clinical outcomes and quality of care. And with other hospitals in Rochester transitioning to electronic medical record technology, sharing of patient information between Systems will be greatly simplified. Physicians from throughout the Rochester Region can now access records at Newark-Wayne when needed for specific patient treatment.

The system is so advance and detail oriented, Dr. Arun Nagpaul, medical director at Newark-Wayne said, even housekeeping will know which rooms need to be cleaned after a patient is discharged.

“It’s seamless,” he said.

Exceptional features of Care Connect:

• to help prevent medical errors it warns if a prescription interacts with another medication the patient is on; the system will issue a warning pop up and the doctor must then review the information to determine how to proceed
• will allow them to schedule the follow up appointment with the patient’s general physician, to ensure patients continue recommended follow up care
• should injury occur while traveling, patients can still get proper care, as any doctor who has the software can access a patient’s medical records
• all of the data in the EMR is encrypted and password protected, so access to a patient’s information is strictly limited only to those who are authorized. The system also tracks who is accessing records and, fully monitored, alerts officials when abuse is suspected.
• the system is also protected against the loss of patient information through a robust back-up system that is readily available, in the event of a computer malfunction

Abridged, from an original article by Tammy Whitacre, staff writer Messenger Post, Posted, May 19, 2012