Cornwall Ontario – Cornwall Community Hospital today announces the launch of its sophisticated electronic health record (EHR), a system which assists healthcare providers to increase patient care and patient safety. Leaving behind traditional paper-based medical records, the centralized, electronic system works in real-time to provide patient medical information such as patient data and lab and x-ray results to nurses, physicians and clinicians, the instant it is captured.

“Our vision is to provide our patients with ‘Exceptional Care. Always.’ By moving from a paper-based health record system to an electronic health record system, we’re putting the patient at the centre of everything we do,” said Jeanette Despatie, Chief Executive Officer, Cornwall Community Hospital. “Our commitment to patient care will deliver benefits that extend beyond our hospital walls; this will positively impact our healthcare partners in the community and allow us to lead the way we deliver healthcare in the region.”

With the launch of its electronic health record, Cornwall Community Hospital is positioned as a healthcare leader and will achieve HIMSS Stage 5 designation, a value out of 7 stages to indicate the successful adoption of an electronic health record.

Benefits to Cornwall Community Hospital patients include:

-Patient Safety: The electronic health record makes it easier to deliver critical safety alerts, provide clinical decision support, and facilitate communication between members of the care team. Prescriptions are created electronically, eliminating the risk of transcription errors.

-Patient Care: Medical history and the latest medical information are easily and instantly available, positioning healthcare providers to deliver the best care possible.

-Patient Privacy: Cornwall Community Hospital takes privacy seriously and strictly follows the provincial guidelines of the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA).

“The work that has been done by the team at Cornwall Community Hospital, collaborating closely with our healthcare information technology provider, Cerner, is nothing short of remarkable. This electronic health record is built to help us deliver the best care to our patients,” said Suzanne Dionne, Chief Finance and Information Officer and EHR Executive Project Sponsor, Cornwall Community Hospital. “By sharing information efficiently across hospital departments, and with community partners, we improve the full continuum of care for our patients.”

“Cornwall Community Hospital is raising the bar for healthcare in eastern Ontario; the hospital’s commitment to providing the best care to its patients is remarkable,” said Jim Shave, President, Cerner Canada. “By working closely with its front-line providers like physician and nurses, Cornwall Community Hospital has built an electronic health record that reflects current best practices in delivering patient care, which benefits not only patients, but the community at large.”