Ellis County Health Department to adopt Patagonia Health electronic records system; commission approves purchase

ELLIS COUNTY — The Ellis County Commission on Sept. 9 approved a purchase order to adopt a new electronic health-records system for the Ellis County Health Department. Health Director Melissa Miller said the department selected the product after reviewing options and visiting other counties that use the system; the commission recorded the motion as passing 3-0.

Miller described the system as meeting the department's operational needs and said staff had evaluated several vendors. "We feel like this is the best system," Miller said. Commissioners and staff discussed payment and grant reimbursement; County Administrator Darren Myers said the department would encumber the cost in the health department's capital fund and submit the invoice to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) under a workforce development grant for reimbursement. Myers said that reimbursement typically takes time and the county will advance the purchase so the health department is not over budget at year-end.

The department and staff identified the vendor as Patagonia Health, a widely used EHR in Kansas counties. Commissioners were told the system includes five years of coverage for updates and on-site training and that the county would receive local support for implementation. The commission's motion authorizes the county to issue the purchase order and proceed with implementation; the purchase will be paid from the health department's capital fund and later reimbursed if the KDHE grant disburses funds as expected.

The motion passed by voice vote and was recorded as "passes 3-0."