Naval Hospital Oak Harbor (NHOH) was selected as the first Navy hospital to deploy the Department of Defense's new integrated electronic health record, MHS GENESIS, and has been successfully using the program since July 15.

"Two years of preparing, planning and training has borne great fruit for hospital staff and beneficiaries here on Whidbey Island," said Capt. Christine Sears, NHOH's commanding officer. "I am proud of the Oak Harbor team. They approached this endeavor with the right combination of gravitas and positive attitude."

MHS GENESIS is a DOD-wide electronic health record system purchased to keep pace with medical advances and innovations in technology. The system combines health records from primary care providers, pharmacy, laboratory, immunization and dental clinics all on one network. It also enables the base to share information with civilian and Veterans Affairs providers.

MHS GENESIS features a secure patient portal to give beneficiaries access to previous visit information and discharge instructions. It also allows them to schedule or cancel appointments and send messages directly to their provider.

"One of my patients used the portal to ask me a question. I was able to answer in minutes through the portal, improving convenience for that patient, who no longer needed to make an appointment, and enhancing the experience for another patient who needed to be see in-person, " said Lt. Cmdr. Laura Bradford, a primary care manager at NHOH.

"The launch of MHS GENESIS has really encouraged teamwork and a level of understanding of one another that did not exist before," said Lt. Cmdr Jennifer Smith, NHOH's dental department head. "The new system has allowed our team to learn and implement new ideas while improving interactions with our patients."

Prior to "Go-Live," NHOH staff members helped develop and execute more than 20 patient scenarios, spanning 30 different clinical and non-clinical departments, to test the capabilities of MHS GENESIS and ensure patient safety.

NHOH has 64 "Super-Users," who are fully involved in the training and implementation of MHS GENESIS, and will be able to provide support throughout the transition. MHS GENESIS will affect approximately 27,000 service members, dependents, retirees and other eligible beneficiaries in the local area who depend on NHOH.

NHOH is the second of four locations in the Pacific Northwest selected to deploy MHS GENESIS. The 92nd Medical Group at Fairchild Air Force Base was the first medical clinic selected to deploy MHS GENESIS. They have been using the program since February 7. The next operational sites are scheduled to be Naval Hospital Bremerton and Madigan Army Medical Center. Implementation at Bremerton is set for late September.

"The Sailors and civilians of Oak Harbor paved the way for the rest of the Navy to eventually switch to this new system," said Sears.

After two years of planning, preparing and training, MHS GENESIS "Go-Live" occurred at Naval Hospital Oak Harbor (NHOH), July 15.

As the first Navy hospital to achieve initial operational capability with the new system, many were eager to test the enhanced capabilities provided to the NHOH Special Delivery Unit.

On July 21, Avalee Mae White, became the first baby in the DoD family to be delivered using the new joint electronic health record system, MHS GENESIS.

Avalee made her debut into the world at 3:39 p.m. Interest and excitement in how well the new system worked quickly took a backseat as everyone's attention turned to the newborn. This birth was all the more sweet because Avalee is the daughter of a NHOH shipmate, Hospital Corpsman Seaman Joseph White.

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