Local hospital reports clean 2024 audit, readies Epic MyChart go-live next week

FULTON COUNTY — Hospital representatives presented a clean audit for 2024 during the June 2 meeting and told county leaders the hospital plans to go live next week on a new electronic health-record system that uses Epic and the MyChart patient portal.

Audit highlights: The presenter said days of cash on hand increased notably between 2022 and 2024 and that operating margin improved from negative 8% in 2022 to negative 2% in 2024, indicating progress toward financial stability. The presentation also noted the hospital is the second-largest birth center among three nearby counties (Miami, Fulton and Marshall), behind Memorial in South Bend.

EHR transition and patient portal: Hospital staff said the system change will replace two existing computer systems and allow records to flow across clinic, emergency and inpatient settings. The hospital plans to shut off the old system the night of Friday the 13th and have the new Epic system live by the morning of the 14th. Staff said patients with scheduled appointments will receive MyChart invitations by email or text if their contact information is in the system.

Why it matters: Hospital leaders said the single EHR will improve information flow and reduce lost orders or duplicated records. Staff asked for patience from patients and clinic users during the transition and said hospital teams will be working around the clock during the cutover.

What was not decided at the meeting: No county action was required; the hospital gave an informational presentation and requested patience from community members during the go-live.

Provenance: Excerpts from the meeting record where the audit and EHR go-live were discussed are cited below.