MarinHealth this week said it will implement a new electronic health record system – a version of Epic developed at University of California San Francisco called APeX.

WHY IT MATTERS
APeX stands for Advancing Patient-Centered Excellence – it's an Epic EHR system that was customized at UCSF as an integrated platform to help offer access to patient records across the care continuum, from MarinHealth Medical Network clinics to MarinHealth Medical Center.

The goal is to give patients easier access to all their health information in one place through MyChart – enabling them to see test results, schedule appointments and message their physicians.

The APeX platform is designed to streamline operational and clinical workflows to achieve the boost care quality, improve patient experience and reduce administrative burdens.

In MarinHealth provider settings, clinicians can gain access to more complete patient records, helping them to make better diagnoses and treatment decisions.

"This technology helps to create a seamless experience in a patient's entire health journey, and it helps our providers to immediately access the information they need to care for their patients," said Dr. Karin Shavelson, MarinHealth Medical Center's chief medical officer, in a statement.

"The APeX system will provide quicker access to information, which means less time looking for patient documents and more time providing care," Shavelson said.

THE LARGER TREND
Epic in June announced it would sign on with TEFCA, offering its customers – 2,000 hospitals and 45,000 clinics – the ability to participate in the nationwide interoperability framework.

MarinHealth joined a strategic partnership with Optum earlier this year, seeking tools to enhance its administrative infrastructure and improve its business processes.

ON THE RECORD
"Having access to consolidated medical records across different clinical areas will improve care when patients are referred to various specialists or other ancillary services at all MarinHealth locations," said MarinHealth Medical Center CEO Dr. David Klein in a statement.

"All providers and organizations using Epic can easily exchange patient data, which will greatly improve patient care," he added. "Providers also will have the ability to coordinate care with doctors outside of MarinHealth who serve their patients and their families, closing care gaps and reducing duplication. This integrated system furthers the MarinHealth mission to be the destination for health and healing in the North Bay."

Twitter: @MikeMiliardHITN
Email the writer: mike.miliard@himssmedia.com
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