Portage Health's transition to electronic medical records completed

Electronic medical records are the new standard in patient care for hospitals, and Portage Health Medical Group in Hancock has announced it is now fully upgraded to a new digital system.

The health system began the change to electronic records in October with family practice care. Just recently, internal medicine became the last department to be upgraded, completing the whole transition process.

"We are now completely live," says Dr. Kirk Lufkin, chief medical officer at Portage Health. He adds that the electronic records have many benefits to patients and staff, which the hospital is already starting to see.

Doctors and nurses have easier access to patient charts and are more easily notified when patients receive preventive or special screenings like mammograms -- which, recent numbers show, 98 percent of doctors are using the electronic records system to keep track of.

"Numbers like that show how valuable this system is for the patient-centered medical care we provide," says Lufkin. "It's an incredibly powerful tool."

More information is available for Portage Health patients on the electronic medical records online.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Kirk Lufkin, Portage Health Medical Group