Riverside University Health System Launches Electronic Record

From Riverside University Health System:

Riverside University Health System launched its state-of-the-art electronic health record Tuesday as part of a long-term strategy to enhance patient care and improve communication among Inland health providers.

Dr. Aleca Clark, who is leading the launch team at RUHS, said the technology will integrate information for a health system that supports one of the largest counties in the nation.

“With an electronic health record, patients receive care that is safer, better coordinated, and more efficient,” Clark said. “Primary care providers, specialists, nurses, and staff can all view a patient’s electronic chart simultaneously and in real time. Our patients will have the convenience of being able to view laboratory results and request prescription refills through a web-based Patient Portal.”

Thousands of RUHS healthcare workers have been undergoing intensive training since the Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved $53 million for the leading-edge Epic software in June 2015. County supervisors said then that investment into healthcare technology is crucial for a sustainable system that can meet and grow with the needs of the county’s current 2.3 million residents.

“Overall, the electronic health record supports timely care, improves communication, and reduces money-wasting duplications,” Clark said.

The electronic record will come online at the Moreno Valley Medical Center and other RUHS sites over the next several months. RUHS provides more than a half million outpatient visits and hospital admissions yearly. The EHR links Riverside University Health System to Loma Linda University Health, as the backbone of a clinically integrated network of providers that is anticipated to expand over time.

“This software platform brings us into the digital age and positions RUHS for a much brighter future,” said Fourth District Supervisor John J. Benoit, chairman of the Board of Supervisors. “We had some catching up to do and it is gratifying to see these projects coming to fruition to benefit our communities.”

Zareh Sarrafian, CEO of RUHS, said Tuesday’s go-live of Epic was an “amazing feat of dedication” by healthcare teams working relentlessly to meet accelerated deadlines.

“These types of projects usually take two to three years,” Sarrafian said. “We have seen the seemingly impossible happen as a result of our team’s passion for excellence and its commitment to quality health care.”

The system was designed by Epic, a health care IT company in Verona, Wisconsin that provides electronic records for 190 million patients. The project is a collaboration with Loma Linda University Health and enables providers throughout the Inland Empire to share EHRs. The electronic records system has been designed to maintain the privacy and security of patient records.

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