At Epic's Users Group Meeting in August, the health IT giant announced a new feature to make it easier for patients to access their medical records across different providers.
Through MyChart Central, patients can use a single Epic-issued ID to sign in to MyChart for all Louisiana organizations using Epic—without needing to keep track of multiple usernames and passwords.
All the Louisiana health systems connected to Epic are now live with MyChart Central, the nine health systems announced Thursday.
It marks the first statewide rollout of the new Epic feature. Patients in Louisiana can sign up for MyChart Central at Central.MyChart.org.
"Patients will be able to have one MyChart login that pulls their health data together from the multiple different sites of care, and be able to use that login consistently across organizations," Seth Hain, Epic’s senior vice president of R&D, said during Open@Epic, a developer-focused conference in September.
Louisiana’s statewide launch follows a citywide activation of MyChart Central in Madison, Wisconsin, Epic's homebase. Several healthcare organizations—including UW Health in Madison, Group Health Cooperative in Madison, UnityPoint Health in West Des Moines, Iowa, and SSM Health in St. Louis—have already gone live with the tool, Becker's reported.
The nationwide rollout of MyChart Central is underway and will be completed later this year, Hain said in September.
“Health systems throughout Louisiana came together to deliver a simpler, more connected experience for patients,” Trevor Berceau, director of R&D at Epic, said. “Louisiana is leading the way and helping to shape how MyChart Central helps people everywhere.”
“Being first in healthcare technology is another example of Louisiana leaning in to improve healthcare for our entire state,” Bruce Greenstein, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, said in a statement. “Too often, the burden is placed on the patient, and I’m thankful that many of our health systems teamed up, worked together, and made an aspect of healthcare easier on our patients.”
Participating healthcare organizations in the coordinated MyChart Central activation include Baton Rouge General, Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, Lake Charles Memorial Health System, LCMC Health, North Oaks Health System, Ochsner Health System, St. Tammany Parish Hospital, Terrebonne General Medical Center and Woman’s Hospital.
More than 2.5 million Louisianans use MyChart to manage their care, access test results, schedule and check in for appointments, message their providers, request prescription refills and pay bills. MyChart Central simplifies the user experience they already know with a single sign-in and a united view across organizations, according to Epic.
The new MyChart Central feature offers patients password-free convenience, with support for passkeys and biometrics like face and fingerprints. When patients move or get a new phone number, they can update MyChart Central once. Updates sync to the other organizations where they receive car, saving time and reducing the need to fill out repetitive forms, Epic said.
A single Epic ID makes it easier for patients to securely share their medical information with health apps they choose, the organizations said.
“As CIO for LCMC Health, I’m thrilled to see Louisiana leading the way in digital healthcare innovation. MyChart Central empowers our patients with secure, streamlined access to their medical information, no matter where they receive care,” David Singer, LCMC Health's chief information officer, said in a statement. “We’re excited to deliver a simple, unified experience that puts patients in control and helps providers deliver the best possible care. Partnering with other leading health systems across the state makes this initiative even more impactful, as together we’re transforming how Louisianans connect with their care teams and health records.”
Greenstein said the collaboration between Louisiana health systems also supports a commitment to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to improve the health tech ecosystem.