Electronic Health Record Update

Taking Your Care to the Next Level

We began our multimillion dollar Electronic Health Record (EHR) update in December 2020. We currently utilize three separate Electronic Health Record information systems. “Project Refresh” will create one medical record for patients utilizing our hospital, clinics and ER.

Our EHR upgrade is an investment in the future of healthcare in our community. This 9-month initiative involves our entire team. We expect a learning curve as we work to master our new technology, but we want you to know that patient care will always be our top priority. In preparation for the project, we have hired staff, changed roles and created teams to ensure that we can continue to provide excellent care while effectively creating, testing and implementing our new software.

Project Refresh will revolutionize the way we do business across all care settings so that your experience at St. James Parish Hospital is even more connected, coordinated and comprehensive.

What is an EHR?

An Electronic Health Record is a collection of electronically-stored patient health information—a secure “digital warehouse.” Currently, we utilize three separate EHR systems to house patient information—one in our hospital, one in our clinics and one in our emergency room. Our new, multi-million dollar solution created by Cerner will replace multiple systems with one upgraded system.

About Cerner

With over 29,000 employees in 26 countries, Cerner is one of the top two companies in the EHR market. Cerner has over 40 years of experience in healthcare information technology—connecting people and systems around the world. Cerner uses the latest technology to create solutions that allow communities and people to engage in their own health. Whether Cerner is supporting the clinical, financial or operational areas of a hospital or health system, Cerner’s tools are designed for today and with the future in mind. It is Cerner’s mission to relentlessly seek breakthrough innovation that will shape the healthcare of tomorrow.

Cerner’s impressive revenue-share, experience and innovative approach to healthcare technology landed the company as one of three EHR vendors the hospital diligently researched and worked with in order to determine the best fit for our community. In addition to being a top-ranked vendor, Cerner offers a unique understanding of small hospitals in rural communities.

Cerner collaborates with community, critical access and specialty facilities to identify opportunities to increase value for both hospitals and patients. Smaller hospitals often face different challenges than larger facilities and Cerner offers a product that accommodates these specialized needs.

Additionally, St. James Parish Hospital has the support of a dedicated Cerner team with experience helping hospitals like us implement our new software.

New Patient Portal

Because our current EHR systems act independently, they are unable to “talk” to each other. Our new EHR solution will utilize one platform for all patient records. This means that whether you are seen in our ER, have a wellness visit at a clinic or come in for an x-ray, all of your information will be housed in ONE system which you will be able to access through ONE patient portal.

ONE patient—ONE record—ONE portal.

• Patients will be invited to sign up for our new patient portal after the system goes live at the end of August.
• Signing up for the portal will be as simple visiting a specified link or opting in when registering during a visit. We will be there to support you.
• The new portal will offer patients access to new test results and visit information for all St. James Parish Hospital, ER and clinic services and through one application with a single login.
• Patients will have the option to pay bills through the portal or use a quick pay link which will show all hospital, clinic and ER charges as one balance. Independent providers such as ER physicians and radiologists will still bill separately for services.
• The new portal will allow patients to schedule certain appointments, request refills, message physician offices and fill out certain forms in advance.
• Patients will also have the option to integrate health information from the patient portal into their Apple or Android Health app via a smart phone.

Additional Benefits

We are confident that we can take your care to the next level with our technology upgrade to Cerner and we look forward to both short-term successes and endless possibilities for the future of healthcare in our community.

• Ability to seamlessly connect patient information through our entire continuum of care
• Easier workflows, reduced paperwork and combined steps making processes more efficient to save you time
• One record across all care sites making it easier and faster for your physicians to review critical information when treating you
• One patient portal for you to access your medical information from recent hospital, ER and clinics visits
• Real-time process monitoring to improve your patient experience
• More opportunities for us to measure data real-time and further improve quality
• Less manual processes equaling less opportunities for error and higher accuracy
• Options to more easily connect with your physicians via the Patient Portal

What to Expect When We Go-Live

On Monday, August 23rd St. James Parish Hospital will officially be live with its new Cerner Electronic Health Record across the hospital, ER and clinics. Patients will be invited to join the new portal through the registration process.

The hospital’s team has spent nearly a year preparing for this upgrade and will have consultants on-site the next several weeks to help ensure a smooth transition, but asks that you pardon their progress. Patients may notice additional electronic consent forms and may be asked to verify information as they are added into the new system.

“We know there will be a learning curve with our upgraded technology, but this change will be the first big step in being able to take our care to the next level for our community,” said Hospital CEO Mary Ellen Pratt.

“We appreciate your patience as our team gets comfortable working with our new software and we are so excited about all of the new benefits to come.”