Springfield, Mass.-based Baystate Health has resumed scheduling future appointments for most services following its Nov. 1 Oracle Health EHR upgrade, which was accompanied by reports of appointment cancellations, prescription refill difficulties and longer wait times.
In a Nov. 12 update, the health system said patients could begin scheduling future appointments at 9 a.m. that day for all services except women’s services and cardiology.
Baystate said all previously scheduled appointments remain in place and will proceed as planned. The health system is continuing to work toward making all new appointment schedules available in its EHR system.
The update comes after patients reported difficulties accessing care following Baystate’s Nov. 1 acquisition of Springfield-based Mercy Medical Center, now Baystate Mercy Hospital, from Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health.
Some patients reported canceled appointments, difficulty obtaining prescription refills and delays in establishing care with new providers, according to a Nov. 10 report from local news station WWLP.
In a statement to WWLP, Baystate acknowledged that its Oracle Health implementation and integration of Mercy Medical Center represented two of the most significant changes the health system had undertaken in more than a decade.
The health system said it deployed hundreds of transition support personnel, including on-site assistance from Oracle. Baystate also acknowledged longer registration processes and extended wait times, which it said were improving.
The transition moved Baystate’s hospitals, medical practices and other care sites, including Baystate Mercy Hospital, onto its modernized Oracle Health EHR. The system also launched MyBaystate Health, a new patient portal designed to give patients access to their health information and care teams.
