JANUARY 18, 2023 – The Military Health System’s new electronic health record system, MHS GENESIS, will deploy for more than 390,000 beneficiaries in the Defense Health Agency’s Tidewater Market on Jan. 21, 2023.
The new system replaces the Department of Defense’s patchwork of current systems and consolidates, streamlines, and standardizes business operations and clinical workflows for both patients and providers.
“Our charge at the Tidewater Market is to provide reliable, high-quality healthcare to our beneficiaries while maximizing joint force readiness,” said U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Matthew Case, director of the Tidewater Market and commander, Naval Medical Forces Atlantic. “MHS GENESIS is the exact type of modern tool we need to succeed at this.”
The Tidewater Market, which among other locations, includes Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, McDonald Army Health Center, and the 633d Medical Group at U.S. Air Force Hospital Langley, is the latest market in the U.S. set to deliver MHS GENESIS to its beneficiaries.
MHS GENESIS offers several advantages over legacy systems. It results in faster and better management of chronic, complex, and time-sensitive health conditions; provides automated, real-time clinical decision support; and increases patient engagement capabilities allowing patients to send secure messages directly to their healthcare team.
For providers, MHS GENESIS consolidates patient health information into a single view accessible anywhere MHS GENESIS is available. This system is accessible from any military medical treatment facility (MTF), including remote locations.
“There are going to be challenges when implementing any system of this size and scope,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Shelley Perkins, director of Naval Medical Center Portsmouth. “Fortunately, we’ve seen positive outcomes in the other markets where it’s been deployed, and we’re committed to resolving any issues patients or providers identify.”
The MHS GENESIS Patient Portal is replacing TRICARE Online. The Patient Portal is the primary patient-facing website, allowing patients to securely access their health record information at any time, schedule appointments, check lab and radiology results, request prescription renewals, complete forms before an appointment, access educational content, and exchange secure messaging with their healthcare team.
When fully deployed, MHS GENESIS will provide the DoD’s 9.6 million beneficiaries and 205,000 medical providers with a single, integrated health record across the continuum of care – deployed, at home, and eventually, through the transition to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
For more information about MHS GENESIS, visit https://www.health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Technology/MHS-GENESIS
The Tidewater Market, established in 2021, is the nation’s fifth Military Health System market established to manage military medical treatment facilities that support the delivery of integrated, affordable, and high-quality health services for active-duty service members, retirees, Reservists and Guardsmen, and their families enrolled at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, McDonald Army Health Center, the 633d Medical Group at U.S. Air Force Hospital Langley, U. S. Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as well as 14 health clinics in the Tidewater region.
Story by Arif Patani
Military Health System