Photo By Marcy Sanchez | The first and only MHS Genesis Awareness Fair Olympics was held at Landstuhl Regional...... read more read more
The first and only MHS Genesis Awareness Fair Olympics was held at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in preparation for the implementation of the Military Health System’s new electronic health record (EHR) at LRMC later this year.
The one-of-a kind event provided staff at LRMC and Army Health Clinics across Europe, an interactive approach to assess MHS Genesis competency and knowledge, while providing opportunities for more than 250 participants to ask questions, learn more about the transformation to MHS Genesis and develop confidence in the transformation, ahead of LRMC’s MHS Genesis “Go-Live” on Sept. 23, 2023.
MHS GENESIS integrates all aspects of care in the MHS and is integral in the provision and coordination of safe, quality care. It connects medical and dental information across the continuum of care, whether on the battlefield or at home in the military hospital. The DoD has implemented MHS GENESIS at most sites in the Continental United States, with overseas sites slated to go live with the system later this year.
“This event is really everyone's opportunity to come get those questions answered and be proactive about their MHS Genesis experience because (the transformation) will be a significant emotional event when it happens,” said Dr. Angela Karnes-Padron, MHS Genesis change management lead at LRMC. “Staff can meet with MHS Genesis team and subject matter experts and get specific questions answered while participating in activities.”
Although the primary focus was to raise awareness of the upcoming transformation, LRMC’s MHS Genesis Task Force applied interactive activities to increase participation and encourage participants to ask questions.
“We had the amazing race - teams from each of the hospital’s sections rallied together, got passports and boarding passes, and went to various stations in pursuit of earning points, getting stamps and moving to the next station until they made their way back,” said Karnes-Padron.
Some activities during the race included hula hoop relays, cookie stacking and solving riddles to advance. Activities were all connected to testing participant competence in the upcoming EHR.
The day-long activities allowed for alternating staff members on teams to encourage all-hands participation, including staff members from outlying clinics.
“This is the first time we meet up in person and talk about (MHS Genesis),” said U.S. Army Spc. Lauren Hamilton, a behavioral health technician at U.S. Army Health Clinic Wiesbaden. “I honestly thought (the Awareness Fair Olympics) was going to be more of a (presentation). It's answering some questions and definitely a more memorable event.”
While some staff members are prepared for the transformation from prior deployments at previous assignments, for new staff members and junior Soldiers like Hamilton, the event is one of many trainings staff members undergo to ensure an amenable transformation.
“It's still kind of an unknown. Learning is case by case because some people are better with systems and others learn hands on,” said Hamilton, a native of Aurora, Colorado. “We’re just getting one person there at a time.”
“We’re encouraging anything (staff) can do proactively between now and go live to make sure they are in front of anything that they're not feeling comfortable about,” said Karnes-Padron. “They need to feel comfortable about training, about where they need to be and really feel comfortable (following go-live) when patients start showing up.”
Although MHS Genesis will streamline and adapt the DOD’s EHR to function with civilian and Veterans Affairs medical systems, beneficiaries will notice impacts to normal operations following go-live at LRMC and Army Health Clinics. Beneficiaries may notice decreased access to care and increased wait times, all the while learning to navigate a new patient portal following go-live. These changes will allow staff members to adjust to the new EHR and ensure patient safety is maximized following the substantial transformation.
| Date Taken: | 03.15.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 03.15.2023 04:42 |
| Story ID: | 440421 |
| Location: | LANDSTUHL, RHEINLAND-PFALZ, DE |
| Web Views: | 121 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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