Cerner Corporation announced it will provide its electronic health record (EHR) to 12 behavioral health facilities across the Commonwealth of Virginia. This approach eases sharing of patient health records across all facilities within the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), which provides behavioral health and developmental disability resources to the state’s residents.
“As a trusted industry leader in technology, data exchange and interoperability, Cerner can deliver the efficiency, reliability and security our clients, including DBHDS, need to improve health outcomes,” said John Dreager, PhD, vice president of client relationships, Cerner. “Cerner’s technology is designed to help improve continuity of patient care and a seamless exchange of health data between doctors and patients. We are proud to help Virginia address the mental and behavioral health needs of their residents.”
A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds a nearly 25% increase in depression symptoms in U.S. adults in 2020. This increased prevalence in depression symptoms could lead to a greater demand on behavioral health support organizations like DBHDS. With Cerner technology, 12 Virginia facilities will now be better equipped to provide more efficient and coordinated medical care for their communities. Access to data across facilities also helps health systems better understand opportunities for efficiencies and improvement in their organizations.
“A single EHR across all locations is a key step towards standardizing care delivery” said Alison Land, DBHDS Commissioner. “As the demand for community mental health and substance abuse resources continues to rise in the wake of the pandemic, there’s no better time to upgrade technology systemwide. For us this marks a new era of automation, bringing increased care coordination across our network and using technology to help improve care, treatment and communication with our clients.”
Cerner technology is currently in use at eight DBHDS facilities: Western State Hospital (Staunton), Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute (Marion), Southern Virginia Mental Health Institute (Danville), Commonwealth Center for Children & Adolescents (Staunton), Southeastern Virginia Training Center (Chesapeake), Eastern State Hospital (Williamsburg), Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute (Falls Church) and Catawba Hospital (Catawba). Four additional DBHDS facilities are on-track to deploy in Spring 2021.