The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Epic EHR system includes a field for “citizenship,” Mississippi Today reported June 16.
An Epic spokesperson told the publication that the feature was not added by the company.
“Each organization configures Epic’s software to meet their specific needs,” the spokesperson said.
A clinical staff member at the Jackson, Miss.-based medical center, who spoke to the publication on the condition of anonymity due to job concerns, said the field is optional. Staff are not required to input the information or ask patients about their citizenship status, according to the staff member.
A spokesperson for the University of Mississippi Medical Center told Becker’s the organization has no comment.
Mississippi does not require hospitals to collect citizenship information from patients.
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