HAMILTON, Ont. – St. Joseph’s Healthcare is laying the groundwork for a hospital-wide implementation of the Epic electronic medical record. It will be one of the first hospitals in Canada to install the software from ambulatory to acute care, and it’s aiming to attain the HIMSS Level 6 standing.

St. Joe’s will become a Canadian leader in safe and secure information technology, joining half a dozen hospitals with this level of technology today (HIMSS EMRAM Level 6 – in a rating system in which 7 is the highest ranking.) That means St. Joe’s will be a fully electronic hospital.

“This will not only improve quality of care, but offer outstanding opportunities for research and innovation,” said Dr. Chris Hayes (pictured), chief medical information officer, SJHH.

It is a year-long journey to bring St. Joe’s to a fully integrated solution, the hospital said, with a go-live planned for December 2017.

The digital transformation project is being called ‘Dovetale,’ signifying the joining of compassion and technology, and recognizing that the patient’s story (their tale) is at the heart of the best care.

In Canada, the Ottawa-based Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario is using Epic, as is Women’s College Hospital in Toronto. So too is the Group Health Centre in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. Mackenzie Health, in Richmond Hill, Ont., plans to go live with Epic in July 2017 at its existing site; it will also use Epic at its new site in Vaughan, Ont., which is scheduled to open in 2020.

In the United States, leading-edge users of Epic include Johns Hopkins, the Mayo Clinic and the Mount Sinai Health System.

Through Epic, St. Joe’s said its healthcare providers will be better able to connect to each other and collaborate on patient care through one digital information solution that holds all of the patient’s story.

St. Joe’s will improve patient care by providing real-time, at-the-bedside data and analysis.

Moreover, patients will have new options to engage in their care through better information sharing.

St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton is a leading academic, multi-site hospital that provides ambulatory, acute and mental healthcare to patients in the Hamilton region, and Hamilton Niagara, Haldimand Brant Local Health Integration Network (HNHB LHIN). As the largest acute care hospital in the St. Joseph’s Health System, the staff, physicians and volunteers proudly deliver compassionate care with dignity, compassion and respect.

The Charlton Campus is located in downtown Hamilton, and provides full service emergency, acute and surgical care as well as outpatient and diagnostic services. It is also home to the city’s busiest maternal infant program. The West 5th Campus is home to the regional specialized Mental Health and Addictions Program. This site underwent major construction, as a new 855,000+ sq. ft. facility which officially opened in 2014. Finally, the King Campus is an outpatient facility that provides programming including urgent care, day surgery, and satellite dialysis.

SJHH is a member of the St. Joseph’s Health System (SJHS), and is affiliated with McMaster University, Mohawk College. St. Joseph’s is also home to the prestigious Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health and the high-tech Brain-Body Institute. The internationally renowned Centre for Minimal Access Surgery (CMAS) is among St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s prominent teaching contributions. SJHH is also one of only 4 hospitals in Ontario designated as Baby-Friendly. Baby-Friendly means that we protect, promote, and support breastfeeding.

SJHH has earned a national reputation for outstanding patient care and innovative medical and surgical treatments. The Hospital is particularly well known for excellence in respiratory care, kidney and urinary care, mental health and addictions, surgical services, cancer surgery and women’s and infants’ care. We are also recognized as a leading academic and research centre.