Northern Health begins Oracle Health EMR rollout

Northern Health has begun its transition from a paper-based medical records system to an integrated EHR system.

After two years of preparation, the EMR system, developed with Oracle Cerner, is now being rolled out across its services in Melbourne’s northern region. The system went live at the Bundoora Center and Broadmeadows Hospital last week and will be rolled out across the rest of Northern Health in the coming weeks, the major healthcare provider said in a LinkedIn post.

“(This) week we will be transferring Northern Hospital Epping which will include A&E, ICU, theatres, anesthesia and maternity. We are excited and looking forward to transferring Northern Hospital Epping and Craigieburn Center to the EMR next week bring,” Trish Aldridge, director of the Northern Health EMR program, said.

WHY IT MATTERS

The Northern Health EMR system provides a healthcare-wide view of clinical information, improves care coordination and supports immediate clinical decision making. Additionally, the system can notify healthcare teams of allergies and alerts in real time and provide better insight into a patient’s medical history as they undergo treatment or surgery.

THE BIG TREND

Outside of Victoria, an Oracle Health EMR system is also being rolled out across Queensland, after the state government last year funded A$300 million ($190 million) to expand its deployment. This includes a further five sites under the Metro North Hospital and Health Service.