Healthcare system to help connect the region’s providers with the goal of improving patient care

Southern Illinois Healthcare recently implemented various information technology systems as part of an initiative to improve the quality of patient care in the southern Illinois region. Technology from Horsham, Pa.-based NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, Inc., an award-winning provider of electronic medical records and practice management systems, will serve as the platform for this initiative.

Through this healthcare IT initiative, Southern Illinois Healthcare will provide access to an integrated electronic medical record (EMR) and practice management product (NextGen® EMR/EPM), which will enable participating physicians to manage clinical and administrative patient information through a comprehensive, single-source application. SIH will also implement NextGen Healthcare’s central data repository, NextGen CHS, with the goal of facilitating secure patient data exchange between healthcare entities in the southern Illinois region. In addition, Southern Illinois Healthcare will offer a patient portal (NextMD®) to promote various communications between patients and their physicians.

“By advancing the adoption and implementation of electronic medical records in physician’s offices and hospitals, SIH will be helping the southern Illinois region improve the overall quality of and access to health care,” said Rex Budde, SIH Chief Financial Officer. Budde stated, “a region-wide, secure health information exchange is our goal and we are working to assist the region’s physicians through this effort.”

The advantages of a clinically integrated community of healthcare providers include reduction of transcription costs, improved chronic disease management, pay-for-performance capabilities, and increased patient loyalty.

Community-wide technology adoption can also improve the patient experience through:

• Automated and instant referrals
• Improved safety, security, and convenience due to records sharing (allergies, meds, etc.)
• Greater compliance oversight
• Faster lab and test results
• Emergency room access to ambulatory records
• Greater provider collaboration

To receive more information about how SIH is working with the region's physicians to assist them in adopting and implementing electronic medical records, contact Woody Thorne, Administrative Director Community Affairs, (618) 457-5200, ext. 67836 or .