Pandemic underscores value of seamless connection. More than 2 million patient records shared with participating providers.

Coordination between health care providers can be crucial for patients’ health – and it’s even more important while caring for them during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A newly completed electronic health record system is enabling primary care providers from Community Health Center Network (CHCN) health centers to better coordinate patient care, improve health equity, and manage population health for the vulnerable groups they care for in the East Bay. The project electronically connects the eight community health centers of the CHCN with local health systems and specialists.

The new system – powered by OCHIN Epic Electronic Health Record (EHR) and funded through generous grants from Sutter Health and Kaiser Permanente– allows CHCN health centers to reliably and confidentially share patients’ electronic health records (EHR) with participating providers.

With more seamless collaboration between health centers, primary care providers, hospitals, and specialists in Alameda County, more than 270,000 patient records are now digitally accessible. Through this state-of-the-art EHR technology this is helping provide high-quality health care for the area’s most vulnerable residents.

“This new integrated system ensures that patients will have a seamless experience, while receiving the best possible coordination of their care,” said Ralph Silber, CEO of CHCN. “We’re already seeing the positive impact and transformative potential of the OCHIN Epic EHR, as it’s deployed across our network.”

First implemented at Axis Community Health, OCHIN Epic EHR is now available at all eight of CHCN’s community health centers with the last health center, La Clínica, launched in April.

“We were really pleased to be able to complete this deployment for CHCN, despite the pandemic, by offering full support for a virtual go-live at La Clínica,” said OCHIN CEO Abby Sears. “Now more than ever, we need to ensure frontline providers and public health authorities are able to exchange real-time health information and can respond quickly to the needs of their communities.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, health centers had to quickly adapt to caring for patients virtually. OCHIN Epic allowed CHCN health centers to quickly begin telehealth and video appointments so patients could continue receiving high-quality health care.

“OCHIN Epic is a powerful system,” said Sue Compton, CEO of Axis Community Health in Pleasanton, Calif. “We’re just beginning to explore its full capabilities, but the portal already offers more engaging features for our patients and more robust charting features for our providers, including both medical and Integrated Behavioral Health providers. It has strengthened our capacity to meet the complex needs of the patients we serve.”

The OCHIN Epic EHR also provides CHCN health centers with tools for data reporting and population health management, and offers a patient portal called My Chart, which facilitates patient communication.

To date, over 2 million patient records have been shared between CHCN health centers’ OCHIN Epic EHR and hospital/specialist EHRs. With full implementation, the system supports over 500 primary care, dental, and behavioral care providers who serve over 270,000 patients across CHCN’s network of care.

“Sutter Health is a longstanding partner of CHCN and its member clinics. We are delighted to expand our partnership through this vital initiative to improve care coordination between health care providers and to deliver comprehensive, quality health care for underserved communities of the East Bay,” said Emily Webb, vice president Bay Area External Affairs for Sutter Health. “Being connected through technology will support improvements in care for vulnerable patients at an especially critical time when the need is so great in our communities.”

“As a nonprofit organization with a mission to improve community health, Kaiser Permanente is pleased to support this important work,” said Kevin Hart, senior vice president, Strategic Development and Technology, Kaiser Permanente Northern California. “We are investing and partnering in our communities to improve health care quality and access; helping build out the EHR among our safety net partners is key to this.”

The OCHIN Epic EHR is available at CHCN’s community health centers including: Asian Health Services, Axis Community Health, Bay Area Community Health, La Clínica, LifeLong Medical Care, Native American Health Center, Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center, and West Oakland Health.