The Defense Health Agency, in conjunction with the Program Executive Office, Defense Healthcare Management Systems, and the military services, deployed MHS GENESIS to 18 more military hospital and clinic commands in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and South Carolina on Sept. 24.

This new deployment brings the Military Health System to a total of 92 military hospital and clinic commands actively using the new electronic health record.

"This is a significant milestone for the single, common, federal EHR, and I couldn't be more excited on where the federal EHR will take us," added Bill Tinston, director of the Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization Office. "We know the technology works. Our partnership with the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. Coast Guard in deploying the federal EHR is enhancing the patient and provider experience."

More than half of all MHS providers are now using the new EHR.

“We now have 127,000 providers using the new EHR and providing access for more than 5.1 million potential beneficiaries spanning from Hawaii to Georgia,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Thomas Cantilina, deputy functional champion for MHS GENESIS. “That’s a significant leap from the end of 2019 when we just had eight MTF commands using the system.”

Cantilina, who has been supporting this deployment for six years through different positions, added, “With this valuable tool [MHS GENESIS], we can ensure high-quality, patient-centered care. Since its initial deployment, DOD has conducted multiple upgrades, stabilization and adoption changes, and thousands of configuration changes to better serve beneficiaries, in both garrison and soon operational settings.”

For beneficiaries, the primary access to their care is the MHS GENESIS Patient Portal, which not only provides 24/7 access to the EHR, it also allows them to exchange secure messages with their care team, place pharmacy renewals, view laboratory and test results, make online appointments, and access an online health library.

In June, the DHA, in conjunction with their partners at Oracle Cerner and Leidos, updated and enhanced the MHS GENESIS Patient Portal to create a better user experience for the beneficiary.

“The new look and feel of the Patient Portal will be easier to navigate,” explained U.S. Public Health Service Lt. Cmdr. Minh Doan, solution owner of the MHS GENESIS Patient Portal. “Upon entering the Patient Portal, beneficiaries will land on a dashboard page highlighting upcoming appointments, latest results, unread messages, and other pertinent information to manage care.”

Doan added, “The MHS GENESIS Patient Portal is slightly different than what beneficiaries are used to in TRICARE Online. Once beneficiaries are familiar with the Patient Portal’s features, it will be easier to navigate and access information.”

The MHS GENESIS Patient Portal allows beneficiaries to be more engaged in their health care,” said Doan.

“This new electronic health record will not only integrate all aspects of care in the Military Health System, but it will also integrate the entire enterprise,” according to Cantilina.

By the end of 2023, the DHA plans to have MHS GENESIS deployed to 138 military hospital and clinic commands worldwide. To learn more about MHS GENESIS, visit the webpage on Health.mil.