Photo By Jerome Mapp | WAMC Commander Army Col. Christopher Jarvis and Air Force Col. Thomas Cantilina, the...... read more read more
FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- Womack Army Medical Center (WAMC) became the latest medical treatment facility (MTF) to launch MHS GENESIS, when the new electronic health record (EHR) system went live during a March 19 ceremony at the medical center’s front entrance.
WAMC Commander Army Col. Christopher Jarvis and Air Force Col. Thomas Cantilina, the Defense Health Agency's chief health informatics officer and deputy functional champion for the electronic health records system, cut the ceremonial red ribbon at 7:45 a.m. on March 19, 2022 and launched an evolution in the way healthcare will be dispensed to more than 180,000 TRICARE beneficiaries across the North Carolina market.
MHS GENESIS is the Military Health System’s new EHR system being deployed to military hospitals and clinics around the world. It replaces a patchwork of legacy systems and is intended to make patient information instantly available wherever it is needed. MHS GENESIS is the centerpiece of a larger transformation to securely standardize, integrate, and manage medical records across the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Jarvis lauded the MHS GENESIS team at WAMC, noting that months of hard work, training, and preparation preceded the launch.
“We trained over 4,000 users within the hospital, outlying clinics, and operational forces over a five- month period. We received millions of dollars of new equipment--enough to fill up a warehouse--and issued it to thousands of users across Fort Bragg,” Jarvis said. “The training of personnel and administration of new equipment alone, required thousands of manpower hours and an inordinate amount of coordination and resources.”
Beneficiaries will note that a key change is the switch from TRICARE Online to the MHS GENESIS Patient Portal for online support. The new secure website provides 24/7 access to individual and family health information, including visit notes, secure messaging, test results, appointment scheduling and online prescription renewal.
“The deployment of MHS GENESIS allows greater interoperability of patient information across all military treatment facilities in the Military Health System, to include the VA. It allows for faster and better management of chronic, complex, and time-sensitive conditions,” Jarvis said. “It increases patient engagement capabilities to allow beneficiaries to communicate directly with providers. Lastly, it standardizes processes and improves the integration of healthcare delivery, all of which enables better, safer care.”
Capt. (Dr.) Eliza Toffler, MHS GENESIS physician lead at WAMC, said that the deployment of the new EHR system means an improvement in the Patient Portal. She said beneficiaries will be able to access test results, message their care teams, review medical provider notes, request prescription refills, and have a complete picture of their healthcare.
“We know there will be a significant number of [MHS GENESIS-related] challenges to address during this transition,” Toffler said. “The feedback that we are hearing from the other sites who are here to support us is overwhelmingly positive, so I am optimistic going forward.”
There are currently 400 “pay-it-forward” MHS GENESIS personnel from other MTFs who arrived here the weekend of the launch to assist WAMC with the challenges of launching the new EHR system. As other MTFs go live with MHS GENESIS, WAMC will, in turn, send personnel to their regions to assist with the challenges that may arise.
Beneficiaries can access the new Portal (https://patientportal.mhsgenesis.health.mil) using their same DS Logon: https://myaccess.dmdc.osd.mil/. Beneficiaries who are experiencing issues with their records or information in the MHS GENESIS Patient Portal can submit an Enterprise Service Desk ticket by calling: 1-800-600-9332 or email dha.jbsa.j-6.mbx.mhs-service-desk@mail.mil. For issues logging onto the system, contact the Defense Manpower Data Center at 1-800-538-9552.
The MHS Nurse Advice Line is available 24/7 by phone, web chat, and video chat. Contact the MHS Nurse Advice Line 24/7 to:
• Get evidence-based health care advice from a registered nurse;
• Find an urgent care or emergency care facility;
• Receive recommendations for the most appropriate level of care;
• Schedule same or next day appointments when recommended by a registered nurse and enrolled to a military hospital or clinic;
• Get an online "absence excuse" or "sick slip" when medically appropriate--subject to service command requirements.
Visit MHSNurseAdviceLine.com for web chat and video chat, or dial 1-800-TRICARE (874-2273), option 1.
WAMC leaders are asking for patience and support during the transition. Jarvis explained the steps being taken to overcome the challenges of the transition to MHS GENESIS.
“We have coordinated efforts with our Managed Care Support Contractor–Humana–to ensure our network providers are able to provide ample access to high-quality care during this transition,” Jarvis said. “We have also made considerable efforts to communicate to our beneficiaries how to access care in the network, and importantly, what to expect in terms of wait times, when coming to Womack in the next few weeks. Our team is diligently working to get us back to our baseline level of access to care, however, our sole focus, as we learn this new system, is providing the safest care possible to our beneficiaries.”
Jarvis is confident that care teams will successfully navigate the challenges of MHS GENESIS.
“The adoption of any new system, especially one of this magnitude, requires time and repetition before a team becomes comfortable and efficient with it,” Jarvis said. “We expect there to be some glitches with the system at first, but we’ll work through them and get better each day.”
| Date Taken: | 03.21.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 03.27.2022 11:09 |
| Story ID: | 417255 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 673 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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