Tower Health announced today that as of Saturday, February 27, St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children successfully launched Epic, the electronic health record (EHR).
“Now, all Tower Health hospitals and physician practices are utilizing the same EHR, which is a huge step forward in our journey to becoming a fully integrated healthcare system,” said Don Mueller, St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children Chief Executive Officer. “This is truly an exciting moment and one worthy of celebration. A single, shared platform will incorporate patients’ health information from all Tower Health care sites into one record – leading to more informed clinical decisions, improved outcomes, and seamlessly coordinated care. This will drive common practices, protocols, and care expectations, while also fostering timely communication among providers.”
To prepare for the implementation, the team at St. Christopher’s has completed countless hours of training through nearly 568 training classes. The hospital also has 195 super users, seven specialist training providers, 31 credentialed trainers, 1,922 at-the-elbow support team members, and 1,270 trained new users.
Michelle Trupp, Tower Health Chief Information Officer, said, “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this entire project was completed virtually, and the successful launch is a testament to the incredible hard work and dedication of the entire team at Tower Health. This is a huge accomplishment. The significance of this moment in Tower Health’s quest to advance health and transform lives cannot be understated. We are sincerely grateful for the hard work of so many individuals who have been instrumental to this launch, and your collective commitment to making this transition smooth and successful.”
In conjunction with the launch of Epic, it also launched MyTowerHealth for St. Christopher's patients. This secure online and mobile-friendly patient portal gives patients access to their health information from any Tower Health provider in real time, including medical history, appointments, medications, lab test results, and more.
MyTowerHealth gives individuals secure access to manage their healthcare needs wherever they are. With just one click, patients can:
- Communicate directly with their provider
- Access test results
- Request medication refills
- View their after-visit summary
- Confirm upcoming appointments
- Link with Apple Healthkit
- View education videos
Patients interested in creating a MyTowerHealth account can learn more at MyTowerHealth.org or by calling the MyTowerHealth Service Desk toll free at 1-855-827-0346 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
About Tower Health
Tower Health is a strong, regional, integrated healthcare provider/payer system that offers leading-edge, compassionate healthcare and wellness services to a population of 2.5 million people. With approximately 14,000 team members, Tower Health consists of Reading Hospital in West Reading; Brandywine Hospital in Coatesville; Chestnut Hill Hospital in Philadelphia; Jennersville Hospital in West Grove; Phoenixville Hospital in Phoenixville; Pottstown Hospital in Pottstown; and St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, a partnership of Tower Health and Drexel University in Philadelphia. It also includes Reading Hospital Rehabilitation at Wyomissing; Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences in West Reading; home healthcare services provided by Tower Health at Home; and a network of 25 urgent care facilities across the Tower Health service area. Tower Health offers a connected network of 2,200 physicians, specialists, and providers across more than 230 convenient locations. For more information, visit towerhealth.org.
About St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
Located in Philadelphia, Pa., St. Christopher's Hospital for Children is a 188-bed facility that provides exceptional care to children from throughout the Greater Philadelphia area. The Hospital is owned and operated as a partnership of Tower Health and Drexel University. St. Christopher's has more than 220 pediatric experts on staff, combining exceptional pediatric care with a wide array of pediatric specialties. It houses one of only three Level I Pediatric Trauma Centers in Pennsylvania and the only dedicated and verified Pediatric Only Burn Center between Manhattan and Baltimore. St. Christopher's is a Magnet® designated hospital and is listed as one of Women's Choice Award Best Children's Hospital in 2019. For more information, visit stchristophershospital.org.