Lovelace Health launches Epic records system

Patient info now on single platform

Lovelace Health System has completed a systemwide launch of its Epic electronic health record.

The simultaneous go-live on Aug. 25 encompassed all of Lovelace’s hospitals and clinics, which can now exchange secure patient records across a single information-sharing platform.

Epic replaces 80 software systems to further improve the care, experience and work environment, according to Lovelace.

All Lovelace hospitals and clinics are now using Epic for registration, billing, clinical applications, scheduling and more.

Hundreds of employees from Lovelace Health System and its parent company, Ardent Health Services, have been working since 2016 to prepare Lovelace for the move.

When the project was announced last year, a company official said Nashville-based Ardent would become the first investor-owned hospital company to use Epic throughout the entire organization, which includes hospitals in three service areas: Albuquerque; Tulsa, Okla.; and Amarillo, Texas. The official said Ardent invested more than $150 million for Epic to build the software system.

The changes locally include the introduction of Lovelace MyChart, which allows a patient to find personal health information on demand. It also allows patients a way to message doctors, complete questionnaires, schedule appointments and be more involved in managing their overall health.

“The team has been working diligently to prepare for this enhanced system,” said Ron Stern, CEO of Lovelace Health System. “While it was a complex process, the benefits of Epic will improve the health of our patients while providing greater support to our clinical teams.”

According to Epic, hospitals that use its software hold medical records of 54 percent of patients in the United States.