On January 17, Ohio County Healthcare (OCH) will make the transition to a new electronic medical record (EMR) system using Meditech Expanse. This $2 million dollar investment will better connect our hospital, provider practice clinics, and outpatient services. Once fully implemented, the new system will allow each patient to have one comprehensive medical record shared across all OCH providers and services involved in their care.
The Meditech Expanse system also integrates registration, scheduling, and billing onto the same platform, resulting in better coordination of care, more accurate communication, and streamlined processes for higher-quality patient care. While all hospital-based services will transition first, several of the outpatient provider clinics will follow a staggered schedule for the switch.
“For several years, OCH has utilized two different EMR platforms for our hospital-based services and provider clinics. This was a manageable solution for our healthcare organization at the time that allowed for efficient patient care.” stated Shellie Shouse, CEO of OCH. “However, with the acquisition of several new medical practices, OCH transitioned to management of over 7 different EMR systems. With the additional workload of managing multiple systems and the advancement of patient communication technology, our Governing Board recognized the need to invest in one unified system as a top strategic priority to enhance care for patients and support for providers.”
After an extensive vendor review, the Meditech Expanse system was the preferred platform by both our medical and clinical staff. This two-year long planning and preparation effort began in 2022, which included purchasing additional server capacity and storage; selecting a new EMR vendor, building and testing of the new system, and training our staff and providers. Meditech Expanse has been ranked as the top EMR system for hospitals with 150 beds or fewer for the past five years by KLAS Research, the leading research firm in the Healthcare IT industry, earning top rankings in specific areas such as patient management and patient accounting.
An exciting feature of Meditech Expanse will be the introduction of a new patient portal. Patients will be able to see new test results, review discharge instructions, request refills, and view all records from the hospital and provider practices.
Ohio County Healthcare is a non-profit Joint Commission accredited health system which provides a wide range of hospital, primary care and specialty physician services.
Ohio County Healthcare offers a broad range of healthcare across a diverse landscape.
Ohio County Healthcare | 1211 Old Main Street, Hartford, KY 42347
