News Taffy

Jonesboro, Ark., July 29, 2014– NEA Baptist is implementing a new electronic health record (EHR) system, Baptist OneCare. NEA Baptist Clinic will turn on the new software on August 1 and NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital on September 1.

The new Baptist OneCare system will create a single patient record that both caregivers and patients will be able to access. The EHR aims to maximize efficiency by reducing the need for duplicate tests and patients having to give the same information to multiple caregivers. Patient privacy is protected the same way it would be with a written record. Information about the new EHR system can be found atwww.baptistonecare.org.

“The clinic has been using an electronic medical record for the past ten years; however, NEA Baptist Hospital has never had an electronic medical record.,” said Darrell King, chief executive officer of NEA Baptist Clinic,  “the main priority is to bring everyone on the same system, providing seamless access for patients and physicians and improving the quality of care.”

The biggest convenience for patients is MyChart, a free app accessible via smartphone, tablet or computer that allows patients to schedule appointments, refill prescriptions, direct message their care providers with the option of including photos, access lab results, permanently store instructions and after-visit summaries from physicians, do all of the above for family members or dependents in your care and much more.

“Baptist OneCare’s rich platform will allow us to continue to provide the highest quality of care and advance our services through a robust, world class EMR,” said Brad Parsons, administrator and chief executive officer of NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital.

Baptist OneCare, the largest project ever for the Baptist System, was unveiled Jan. 1 and Jan. 2 at Baptist’s four Minor Medical Centers and Baptist Medical Group clinics located throughout the metro-Memphis area, West Tennessee and Mississippi. Phase II implementation included Memphis area hospitals.

In July 2012, Baptist signed a contract with Epic, a software vendor based out of Verona, Wis.—paving the way for the 14-hospital system’s transition to a new electronic health record. The project involves all 14 Baptist-affiliated hospitals along with its clinics and financial systems. All 14,000 Baptist employees and 4,000 affiliated physicians will be affected by the project.

Baptist chose Epic after conducting a great deal of research and involving colleagues in numerous demonstrations, which more than 2,500 attended. Baptist took colleagues’ feedback into deep consideration before making a decision, according to Baptist leadership. Baptist colleagues played a role in branding the Epic-powered software as Baptist OneCare.

With approximately 270 customers, Epic serves more than 52 percent of the U.S. population and two percent of the world’s population. Epic is known for making software geared toward use by mid-size and large hospital systems. KLAS' 2012 Top 20 Best in KLAS Report rated Epic as the No. 1 Overall Software Suite based on 25 separate performance measures. KLAS is an independent company that measures vendor performance to help hospitals make informed decisions. The same KLAS survey rated Epic as the best in ambulatory care and acute care electronic medical records, among others.

About NEA Baptist

NEA Baptist Health System comprises NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital and NEA Baptist Clinic, northeast Arkansas’ largest physician groups. The 181-bed hospital offers a number of inpatient and outpatient services, including surgical services, neurology, cancer care, open-heart surgery, as well as labor and delivery services through the hospital's Women's Center. NEA Baptist Clinic’s over 100 physicians practice in more than 35 specialties and offer a wealth of services, from weight loss surgery to orthopedic services. For more information about NEA Baptist Health System, please call 870-936-1000 or 870-936-8000 or visit www.neabaptist.com or www.neabaptistclinic.com.

About Baptist

One of the largest not-for-profit health care systems in the United States, Baptist Memorial Health Care offers a full continuum of care to communities throughout the Mid-South. The Baptist system, which consistently ranks among the top integrated health care networks in the nation, comprises 14 affiliate hospitals in West Tennessee, North Mississippi and East Arkansas; more than 4,000 affiliated physicians; a multispecialty physician group; home, hospice and psychiatric care; minor medical centers and clinics; a network of surgery, rehabilitation and other outpatient centers; and an education system highlighted by the Baptist College of Health Sciences. Baptist has more than 2,300 licensed beds system wide, employs more than 13,000 people and has approximately 85,000 admissions annually.  For more information about Baptist, please visit www.baptistonline.org or call 800-4-BAPTIST.