On April 22 we had a pipe elbow failure in our Emergency Department (ED) causing a significant water leak. Crews are assessing the impact and we are in the process of water abatement. Our ED is open, but several rooms are currently offline which could increase wait times. Some surgeries are also being rescheduled.
MyChart to Allow Photo and Document Attachments
Beginning Tuesday, January 28, 2025, patients will have the ability to attach photos and other documents directly to their MyChart messages. This update aligns our patient portal capabilities with other Epic-using organizations in the region. We have created these guidelines to minimize the impact of this functionality on your workflows.
Guidelines for Handling Attachments:
- Files unrelated to a recent visit or unsolicited by the clinic should prompt a recommendation for the patient to schedule a visit. In this setting, support staff should advise the patient of this directly rather than forwarding the message to the provider.
- Attachments should not be forwarded to other specialties or providers unless directly related to a recent visit with that provider.
- Attachments not pertinent to patient care may be deemed inappropriate and removed from the medical record.
- Attachments must be relevant to the patient’s ongoing care or health concerns.
This update comes in response to frequent patient requests and aims to improve the overall patient experience, while maintaining alignment with best practices across healthcare organizations using Epic.
We recognize that there may be an adjustment period as our teams learn to incorporate this feature into their workflows. Thank you for your flexibility and ongoing dedication to our patients.