The Military Health System is currently reimagining its digital health services, moving away from disjointed legacy systems that prevent information sharing across different components of the organization. A key part of these efforts is Genesis, a new electronic health record that when fully deployed, will unify health records for service members, veterans and their families and standardize practices across the MHS.
Speaking during a panel discussion at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2023 Healthcare Summit last week, Pat Flanders, chief information officer for medical systems (J-6) at the Defense Health Agency, said that before Genesis, “there was a server in the basement of every hospital that kept track of just outpatient, there was a server in the basement of every hospital that was just inpatient and then a myriad of other systems that weren’t enterprisewide.”
Currently, Genesis has been implemented at 133 parent hospitals and clinics across the MHS. What the platform did, he explained, was centralize these workflows and systems across the different military services so information sharing would not require starting over.
This increasing connectedness has decreased the amount of items such as software applications that the MHS has needed to purchase, noted Tonya Reeder, chief information officer of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
The widespread adoption of Genesis, she explained, has made it a requirement that products purchased by the MHS are able to integrate into the system as a whole. She said that now, there are also policies in place that make sure that purchasing decisions go through the wider DHA rather than being determined by individual leaders.
“Every hospital used to be able to buy whatever they wanted, and there was an Army way, a Navy way and an Air Force way. Now, as of October last year, we actually have centralized program managers for pretty much everything,” said Flanders.
“You don’t have to put everything together if it starts together. And that’s the beauty of Genesis – changing business processes and integrating systems,” he stated.
Moving forward, the MHS aims to further connect all of its systems while enhancing the user experience. Flanders said the centralization of procurements that comes from Genesis could increase the unity of various devices, such as simulation training tools for schools, which with this new system would match the technologies used in MHS hospitals.
Reeder highlighted the use of wraparound services, which helps internal staff collaborate to build a stronger understanding of new systems, as a way her organization is embracing the MHS’ shift toward a modern technology infrastructure.
“We have functional advisors, we have folks who can go over their shoulder and help them utilize the system better,” she elaborated.
Flanders said the MHS is also “dabbling” in artificial intelligence for cyber logs and finance activities.
Potomac Officers Club events cover a wide range of topics, and the next summit will focus on defense technology. At the 10th Annual Defense R&D Summit on Jan. 31, 2024, experts from both the public and private sectors will come together to discuss the challenges and opportunities currently shaping the defense R&D landscape. To learn more and register to attend the event, click here.
