‘We must adjust and adapt;’ WPAFB prepares to make transition to new online patient portals
The second largest hospital in the Air Force is making big changes for managing prescriptions, scheduling doctor appointments and getting test results.
A change in online patient portals has been happening across the Department of Defense since 2017 and next month, it’s coming to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB). Wright-Patt is part of the final group of bases in the United States to make the change to the new electronic health record, MHS Genesis.
>> Arrest made after threat against LGBTQ+ people at Kettering high school
United States Air Force retirees Barbara Hawk and Paul Herchenbach each spent decades serving our country in the Air Force. Now, both of them, as well as Paul’s wife, depend on the military healthcare system. Their current patient portal system is migrating to a new one on June 3 when the old one stops working.
Hawk, of Huber Heights, told News Center 7′s John Bedell that she’s having trouble registering for the new system.
“It’s just frustrating, especially if you’re not, you know, 20 years old and trying to use a computer system that is not really familiar to you,” Hawk said.
Herchenbach, of Fairborn, said he’s concerned because medical records won’t transfer from the old system to the new one when the old system stops working.
“Well, it’s a big transition. Part of my concern is the fact that I need to get copies of my records prior to this,” Herchenbach said.
News Center 7 was at one of two informational town halls on the base Wednesday as the change was explained.
“We understand this is a frustration. This is a big change. We’ve been waiting for this for a while. We have a lot of staff preparing for this. We’re putting lots of time and effort into making this transition is as smooth as we can,” Col. Thomas Gifford, M.D., WPAFB Medical Center, said.
Hawk and the Herchenbach’s are among the 56,000 active duty service members, military retirees and families that the doctors and nurses at WPFAB Medical Center serve in the Miami Valley everyday. They told Bedell they showed up Wednesday in hopes of making a big transition a little easier.
“It’s the tools we have today. So we must adjust and adapt to them,” Herchenbach said.
Base officials said if patients still want to stop by or call the hospital on base for an appointment or prescription, the can still do that even after the change.
