Public and private partners unite to provide health records in an emergency field hospital for New Yorkers
New York has long been a city that comes together in times of crisis. While its healthcare workers fight on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, Epic, the electronic health records provider for over half of all Americans, is partnering with the New York Department of Health and NYC Health + Hospitals so that when patients arrive at Manhattan’s Javits Center, their medical information can be there with them.
“Epic has a long history of working with New York and its hospital systems during a crisis—from keeping critical systems available during 9/11, to capacity management and moving patients between sites during Hurricane Sandy,” said Eric Helsher, Epic Vice President of Client Success. “The system was activated Monday night at 8pm. As patients move throughout New York, from the emergency room to a field hospital, providers have the important information they need.”
The Javits Center has rapidly transformed into a 1,000-bed hospital for COVID-19 patients. When patients arrive, they are quickly checked in and placed in a bed. Epic instantly queries a network of hospitals and clinics across the nation to see if they have a health record elsewhere. If they do, Epic brings together the information so clinicians at the Javits Center have a comprehensive view. Using Epic on their mobile devices, providers can then see details like a patient’s co-morbidities, allergies and medications, and can chart what happens during the visit. When patients go home, they can see details about their stay and follow up with a doctor through MyChart, Epic’s patient app.
“NYC Health + Hospitals has a deep history of engaging in important partnerships that helps the system transcend boundaries and reach New Yorkers to provide the health care they need and deserve, and we view our support of this initiative as part of that history,” said Kim Mendez, Corporate Chief Information Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals. As New York’s health systems work to staff and outfit the Javits Center, Epic and NYC Health + Hospitals staff are helping by setting up technology and providing remote training and technical support. Epic is providing COVID-19 assistance at no cost.
“It’s critical to have partners in the private sector so our military and health department staff at the Javits Center can focus on the job at hand, caring for as many patients as possible,” said Francoise Pickart, Javits’ Process Lead. “This technology helps doctors and hospitals exchange information more easily so we can provide better and safer care.”
