Published: October 13, 2009 07:02 pm      

UCO-Mercy clinic offers electronic health record

EDMOND — Students at the University of Central Oklahoma will be among some of the first students across the United States to have access to an integrated electronic health record, thanks to a new partnership with Mercy Health Services.

Beginning Oct. 19, Mercy will manage Mercy Clinic at UCO, formerly known as the Student Health Center. Students, faculty and staff will not only have access to an electronic health record, but also for the first time, X-ray services.

“Mercy is one of only 2 percent of hospitals nationwide with an integrated electronic health record,” said Keith Holliman, executive director of Mercy Health Services.

When it comes to getting health care right, studies have shown that electronic health records provide critical information that can mean the difference between life and death. By accessing a patient’s health records, every doctor who attends to a patient knows a patient’s history.

“In my years as a physician, I’ve never had access to an electronic health record like it,” said Dr. Jesse Campbell, an internal and pediatric physician at Mercy Health Edmond Santa Fe clinic and medical director of Mercy Clinic at UCO. “We now have the ability to be connected like never before. I can instantaneously see everything about a patient’s medical history and as a physician that helps me make better judgments.”

In addition to the electronic health record, Mercy and UCO’s partnership provides the opportunity for future expansion of health and wellness services, according to Jo McGuffin, director of UCO’s health services.

“As we grow with Mercy, they will continue to evaluate the needs of our students, faculty and staff, potentially adding new services and capabilities to the center as needed,” McGuffin said.