Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 38 : Fall 2018 | Page 63

has become easier and more efficient through
integrated care management models, and collabora-
tion has brought specialized skills to rural hospitals,
such as the regular presence of vascular surgeons
from Bangor in Presque Isle.
Other significant changes that kicked off on October
1 will strengthen that integration. Moving forward,
the system is working on transitioning all member
organizations to a single, integrated electronic health
record (EHR) and a new business platform.
“The EHR will help us to provide seamless care to
patients across the system,” explains Reynolds. “To
have all patients, both inpatient and outpatient, from
all of our organizations across the state on one
platform will allow providers to easily access a patient’s
medical information as needed. So if you are traveling
downstate and need emergency care and go to
another Northern Light hospital, they can easily see
your patient history. Meanwhile, when you return
home and see your primary care provider, he or she
can see the details from that emergency visit out of
the area.”
Looking Ahead
Healthcare is rapidly evolving, and hospitals and health
systems must evolve as well or risk falling behind.
EMHS, now Northern Light Health, has been diligently
focused on staying ahead of the curve during the last
decade. This rebrand is a commitment to “make
healthcare work” for the people and communities
served by Northern Light Health across the state.
“Our journey as a system has been more than just
picking a new name and logo because our brand does
not stop when you walk through the door,” says Hut-
ter. “Our expectation is that every Northern Light
Health team member a patient interacts with will
provide you with an exceptional experience. We make
healthcare work for you—whether you are the patient,
patient’s family, or a member of the Northern Light
Health team.”
That same connectivity on the business platform level
will bring improved integration for payroll, finances
and revenue cycle.
Efforts are also underway to better standardize
employee benefits across the system, so that whether
a person works for Northern Light Health in Presque
Isle or Portland, they have the same resources a