If you’ve visited the clinic or engaged with your health care record lately, you’ve likely heard about MyChart. This is the new electronic health record (EHR) system we’ve now converted to at our local hospital and clinic.

This is an exciting change. While it’s human nature to be kind of wary about something new, we’re finding that patients like the user friendliness and new functionality in comparison to our former system.

Avera MyChart is a secure online health connection where patients can see their medications, test results, visit history, upcoming appointments, medical bills, price estimates and more all in one place, even if they’ve been seen at multiple health care organizations. 

With MyChart, patients can:

• Schedule primary care appointments more easily online or in the app.  

• Connect with providers through virtual visits.  

• Manage care for family members.  

•Pay premiums and see medical bills.  

• See current prescriptions and request refills. 

 You may have received communication about this change through a text or email. If you received a code, that’s the easiest way to sign up for the new portal. Otherwise, you can learn more, get updates, register and log in at Avera.org/MyChart.

Most information from AveraChart is being transitioned to each patient’s new MyChart portal. The former AveraChart portal will provide view-only access for patients for a limited time.

One great feature of MyChart is that wherever you go, care teams will be able to access your medical record. Epic is the largest EHR provider in the country and holds the largest share of U.S. hospitals – including ours. Nationwide, more than 325 million patients have a current electronic record in Epic.

With MyChart, you get real-time access to your medical information — like lab, pathology and diagnostic imaging results. Your physician’s notes are also part of your chart. This timely access to your health information lets you be more in control of your health care and create a more collaborative relationship between you and your care team. You can also share access to your health information with family members or other care teams, and download your electronic health information for your own records.

If you know anyone who works in health care, you’ve likely heard them mention the Epic launch. It’s been a huge amount of work and training for our local staff and physicians, and we are very proud of their amazing efforts to make this a successful transition. Granted, there are always bumps in the road for any major transition like this. Likewise, our teams have been so incredibly diligent to make sure we continued to deliver high quality care, at the same time they’ve been learning a new system and working out any issues.

Now, our implementation of MyChart is over a month along, and it’s going very well. If you’re a patient, I encourage you to sign up for your MyChart portal, and begin discovering all the great information it offers. Learn more at Avera.org/MyChart.

— Debbie Streier is regional president/CEO of Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center