Hill to implement health record system April 24

  • Published
  • By Kendahl Johnson
  • 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

Beginning April 24, the 75th Medical Group will be transitioning to the Military Health System GENESIS, a new military electronic program which streamlines military and veteran health records.

MHS GENESIS is designed to replace a host of legacy systems with a single, integrated record that will improve standardization and provide patients with new opportunities to control their own care. The electronic record system is configured and enhanced to meet the unique needs of the Defense Department.

“Through the new patient portal, patients will be able to schedule appointments, view lab results, send messages to providers, request refill of medications, and see all notes from their visits, all from a single location,” said Maj. Mark Peterson, 75th Medical Group chief of medical staff.  

He said the electronic health record portion will allow providers to see information from a deployment, inpatient care in a military facility and eventually all Veteran Administration care, allowing for better coordinated care for the patient.

Peterson said the transition will appear seamless to the patient but there may be a few minor inconveniences during the changeover.

“Appointment availability will be diminished for the first one or two months and appointments may seem longer, as the medical group adjusts to the new system,” he said.

Beneficiaries will transition from Tricare Online to the new patient portal and will need to take the following three steps to prepare for the changeover:

1) Make medical and dental appointments further in advance than you previously would;

2) Verify information (mailing address, telephone numbers and email address) in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, because MHS GENESIS uses DEERS information. Patients can update records at the military ID card office or online at https://milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil; and

3) Get a premium Department of Defense self-service logon at https://myaccess.dmdc.osd.mil. “Premium” refers to the level of access and security; DS logon remains a free service. Patients will need it for secure access to the patient portal to review medical records, request appointments, and communicate with a doctor.

MHS GENESIS provides enhanced, secure technology to manage patient health information. It integrates inpatient and outpatient solutions that will connect medical and dental information across the continuum of care, from point of injury to the military treatment facility, further increasing efficiencies for beneficiaries and health care professionals.

The MHS first deployed MHS GENESIS at four initial operating capability sites in 2017. Since then, program officials have focused on implementing lessons learned from those sites to prepare for deployment at the next sites in the rollout, and are working with the Department of Veterans Affairs for its plan to deploy the same commercial health record system.

For more information, go to www.health.mil/MHSGENESIS.