Freeman Health System Joins Missouri Health Connection

Freeman Health System becomes the sixth health system in Missouri to join a growing group of health care providers who share records electronically for greater efficiency and quality of care using the MHC health information exchange network.

Missouri Health Connection (MHC) announced recently that Freeman Health System has joined the growing number of health care providers in the state to adopt MHC CareNet, Missouri Health Connection’s statewide network of shared patient records for greater efficiency, security, and continuity of care.

Freeman Health System, located in Joplin, Missouri, is a locally-owned, nationally recognized health care provider. Freeman provides comprehensive health care and behavioral health services to more than 450,000 people in a service area that extends beyond Missouri, into Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. As an MHC Participant, Freeman’s physicians and care team members can quickly access their patients’ records—not only from Freeman Hospital, but from a variety of hospitals and clinics across the state—instantly and electronically.

“Partnering with Missouri Health Connection is a key initiative for our organization as we continue to leverage electronic health record technology at Freeman Health System. MHC services will facilitate the secure electronic exchange of patient information among our patients’ providers to assure that care is being delivered with both complete and current pertinent clinical data,” Said Sue Annesser, Freeman’s Chief Information Officer. “We are anxious to begin educating our patients about this new opportunity and how it can significantly improve the coordination of their care and could potentially save lives in an emergency situation.”

“Freeman Health System is a wonderful addition to Missouri Health Connection’s membership,” said Mark Pasquale, MHC’s President and CEO. “Specifically, because Freeman Health as well as Mercy in Joplin are both participants, care teams at both hospitals will get a more complete picture of their patients’ situation. Many patients receive care from both places. Instead of faxing records back and forth, just entering the patient name and birthday will retrieve a summary that combines information from both hospitals, and all other MHC participants. So it’s very exciting for MHC to be in partnership with Freeman Health.”

Freeman is also known for its comprehensive behavioral health services at Ozark Center, which has thirty locations and provides residential services to approximately 14,000 clients. “Behavioral health and physical health are so dependent on each other, and yet there is sometimes an unfortunate lack of communications between medical and behavioral health care providers,” explained Pasquale. “But, at Freeman, all of the care team members are more on the same page. With MHC health information network services, they can get instantly updated on the patient’s treatment and medications from the other facility. Because it’s a network, you aren’t dependent on the other facility to process your request for records, and the records are more secure than they can be with faxing.”

While Missouri Health Connection has over 60 member-hospitals, Freeman Health System is the newest member of MHC that is located in the southwestern Missouri area. Pasquale noted that Freeman’s membership shows that MHC is continuing to reach beyond the largest urban areas in the state, and including smaller and mid-size towns in its network, which currently covers more than 70% of the inpatient care delivered in Missouri. 

About Freeman Health System
Freeman Health System is a three-hospital system in Joplin, Missouri. A locally-owned not-for profit system, Freeman was recognized as the 4th best hospital in the state of Missouri by U.S. News & World Report, and the best hospital in Missouri’s Southwest region. The report also ranked Freeman as a high performer in seven specialty areas, including orthopedics, neurology, diabetes care, and others. Additionally, Ozark Center, the behavioral health entity of Freeman Health System, helps families and individuals of all ages who experience mental illness, addiction, trauma, or abuse to develop skills for living a life with dignity and purpose. Ozark Center received the highest accreditation score from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).

After the devastating tornado of May, 2011, Freeman Health System opened new facilities, and expanded their services to meet the community’s growing needs. The Freeman Rehabilitation and Sports Center, for example, provides aquatic therapy, sports medicine, and physical therapy to patients, as well as offering “Train 2 Run” fitness programs for the public. The American Heart Association named Freeman as a “Fit-Friendly Company,” for the wellness opportunities and support that it provides its employees, and the Leapfrog Group has awarded Freeman with an “A” rating for patient safety. With 517 beds, over 300 physicians, two urgent care clinics, and a variety of specialties, Freeman’s mission is “to improve the health of the communities we serve through contemporary, innovative, quality healthcare solutions.”

About Missouri Health Connection
MHC is Missouri’s state-designated, state-wide health information exchange network, with more than 70 hospitals, and more than 350 clinics and community health centers. MHC’s network allows participants to share records from point to point and enables instant retrieval a patient’s comprehensive record, combined from all providers in the network. This connectivity helps providers achieve “Meaningful Use” of their EHR technology. Most importantly, a more complete record helps providers stay up-to-date on the diagnoses and medications that their patients are receiving throughout the health care system. The network has been providing active electronic exchange of health records since January 2014, and is enabling more than 7,000 physicians to quickly and securely access patient health records when treating their patients. Physicians and other health care providers utilizing MHC’s network are coordinating care, reducing preventable errors, and avoiding duplication of treatment for patients. The connectivity services provided by MHC are designed to support all health care provider organizations, from the largest multi-hospital health systems to solo physician practices. Even providers without electronic health records can use MHC CareView, a web-based portal, to view records on the MHC network. MHC is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and is governed by a public-private board of directors. For more information, visit www.MissouriHealthConnection.org.