The electronic medical records of Blanche River Health patients will soon be available to authorized clinicians at 23 partner hospitals throughout Northeastern Ontario, announced Jorge VanSlyke, President and CEO, Blanche River Health.

The digital health upgrade will help make health care delivery more efficient, reduce the need for repeat testing and going over patients’ medical histories, and help prevent medical errors by providing clinicians with the information they need to make informed care decisions.

“We have been working with our partner hospitals on the transition to the new system as part of our efforts to modernize health care delivery through digital health,” said VanSlyke. “Not so long ago, X-rays were produced on film, and filing cabinets filled with patient medical records lined hospital walls. Moving to digital records created the efficiencies we enjoy today, and making that information available to clinicians who care for locals when they travel out of town is the next step in transforming how patient information and test results are created, stored and accessed.”

The ONE (one person, one record, one system) Initiative is a northeast region-wide project to improve the delivery of health care through the creation of a single electronic health information system (HIS). The primary goal of this initiative is to enhance safe, evidence-based care.

“Blanche River Health employees have been working on this initiative for the past five years, and staff are receiving training to make the transition to the new system as smooth as possible,” added VanSlyke. “On May 14, the new system will be in use across the hospital, and we appreciate the patience and support of the community as our employees adapt to a new way of recording information. While things might take a little longer than usual to complete in the first few weeks, we appreciate your understanding and courteousness with our staff.”

“Additionally, we ask patients as of May 14th to come with a list of medications to assist with the registration process. The list can be requested from your pharmacy,” added VanSlyke.

The participating hospitals are:

Anson General Hospital, Iroquois Falls
Bingham Memorial Hospital, Matheson
Blanche River Health, Englehart and Kirkland Lake
Espanola Regional Hospital and Health Centre
Health Sciences North, Sudbury
Hôpital Mattawa Hospital
Hôpital Notre-Dame Hospital, Hearst
Hornepayne Community Hospital
Lady Dunn Health Centre, Wawa
Lady Minto Hospital, Cochrane
Manitoulin Health Centre, Little Current, Mindemoya
North Bay Regional Health Centre
North Shore Health Network, Blind River
Sault Area Hospital
Sensenbrenner Hospital, Kapuskasing
Services de santé de Chapleau Health Services
Smooth Rock Falls Hospital
St. Joseph's General, Elliot Lake
Temiskaming Hospital, Temiskaming Shores
Timmins and District Hospital
Weeneebayko Area Health Authority, Attawapiskat, Fort Albany and Moose Factory
West Nipissing General Hospital, Sturgeon Falls
West Parry Sound Health Centre

Blanche River Health is a 74-bed hospital corporation with two sites serving the North Eastern Ontario communities of Englehart (26 beds) and Kirkland Lake (48 beds) as well as residents in surrounding areas.
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