Today, low-income Coweta County patients are receiving increased access to healthcare services through the installation of electronic medical records at the Coweta Samaritan Clinic.
The system, called Epic, will help streamline patient care between Piedmont Newnan Hospital and the clinic, allowing both to better coordinate patient care and keep our community healthy. The opportunity to do so was made possible by a donation in February 2014 to the Piedmont Healthcare Foundation by the family of Drs. Ferrol and Helen Sams.
As a nonprofit entity, the Coweta Samaritan Clinic dedicates its care and services to the needs of low-income, uninsured patients, a commitment shared by Piedmont Newnan Hospital. Since the clinic opened in 2008, Piedmont Newnan Hospital has been a core partner, having provided approximately $125,000 each year in free labs and patient care, equipment and staffing needs.
Additionally, Piedmont Healthcare provided funds for all equipment for the medical records, including 19 new computers and licensing fees costing nearly $75,000, in addition to the in-kind time by system staff.
As Piedmont and the Coweta Samaritan Clinic further develop this partnership, their shared goals will focus on supporting the clinic’s increased capacity to see patients, instilling better communication between both parties, and reducing unnecessary repeat visits to the emergency room.
“Our goal as a community hospital is to be supportive and provide assistance through partnering with our local clinic to offer affordable care,” stated Mike Robertson, CEO of Piedmont Newnan. “By allowing Piedmont Physicians to work closely together with the physicians at the Coweta Samaritan Clinic, Epic will enable us to provide very good care and provide valuable analytics showing health needs that are not being met in our community and how those needs can be met in the future.”
The Epic system stores all health information from each of the Piedmont hospitals and doctors’ offices, and now the Coweta Samaritan Clinic, into one electronic medical chart, allowing healthcare personnel to see real time test results, patient charts and other important patient information. This will simplify the process for patients because those administering care will already know what medications the patient is on, any allergies the patient may have, and any medical issues previously treated. This is only the second effort of this kind in Georgia, with the first being a partnership between Piedmont Fayette and the Fayette CARE Clinic.
Last year, Coweta Samaritan Clinic treated 469 patients, who are at 200 percent of the federal poverty level and below, over the course of 2,240 visits. Top diagnoses included hypertension, breathing disorders, diabetes and obesity. The clinic relies entirely on private donations, foundation grants, community support and their partnership with Piedmont to offer healthcare services to their patients.
“The use of Epic in our clinic will help avoid duplicated tests and services for patients who visit the clinic and the emergency department, while giving providers at each facility a more comprehensive picture of the patient’s health, leading to better diagnosis and long term care,” said Peggie Lawson, Nurse Administrator at Coweta Samaritan Clinic.
