DALLAS, Jan. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — As the first
major medical center in North Texas to implement electronic medical
records in all its clinical practice groups, UT Southwestern
Medical Center today applauded the government’s initiative to get
hospitals and health care providers across the nation to embrace
new health care technology. The medical center said it will achieve
the goal of “meaningful use” of electronic health records
(EHR) and register for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive
Programs, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009 (ARRA).
“As the only medical center in North Texas to have ‘meaningful
use’ across all of our ambulatory and inpatient settings, we allow
patients to be connected to their overall health care, whether they
are in the hospital or see their physician at one of our clinics,”
said
Dr. Bruce A. Meyer, executive vice president for health system
affairs at UT Southwestern. “We think it is vitally important for
patients to participate in their own care, and the meaningful use
of our EHR allows that.”
In addition to its ambulatory clinics, UT Southwestern has
expanded its use of electronic medical records throughout its
University Hospitals. Since 2005, the medical center’s electronic
“My Chart” product links patients online directly with their UT
Southwestern care providers, with more than 50,000 now registered
and using it to schedule appointments, request prescription refills
or direct private inquiries to their physicians and other health
care providers.
“As the leader in implementing electronic medical records, we
already have witnessed how this technology can enhance the safety
and efficiency of patient care, while providing the analytics so
crucial to achieving evidenced-based quality improvement,” said
Kirk A. Kirksey, vice president for information resources at UT
Southwestern.
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