Late last month, the Coast Guard deployed the MHS GENESIS electronic health record (EHR) system to 32 Coast Guard Pacific Area medical facilities, kicking off the first major implementation of an EHR system for the service.

"Our members have been working diligently to adopt the new electronic health record system while balancing the Coast Guard's mission during a global pandemic," said Rear Adm. Dana Thomas, director of health, safety and work life for the Coast Guard. "Leveraging lessons learned from the pilot wave deployment has helped us continue to carry momentum forward into the Pacific and Atlantic waves.

MHS GENESIS will improve access and quality across Coast Guard clinics and sickbays by providing safer and more efficient patient care. I applaud everyone for their hard work and dedication in this historical transformation."

Later this year, the service will deploy MHS GENESIS to Coast Guard Atlantic Area ashore medical facilities and, combined with those in the Pacific Area, will establish MHS GENESIS as the core EHR solution for the Coast Guard. Both deployments and associated support activities are collectively known as "Segment A" of the Coast Guard electronic health records acquisition program. When Segment A is complete, 43 ashore clinics and 67 ashore sick bays will be using MHS GENESIS for EHR management.

Segment B includes modernization of the Coast Guard's entire medical and dental radiology system. The Coast Guard is targeting completion of Segment B in June 2024. Segment C will extend an EHR capability to all afloat sickbays; that schedule is still being developed.

The electronic health records acquisition will modernize the Coast Guard's health care data management by acquiring an EHR solution in place of its primarily paper-based health record system. Having an EHR capability will make patient record retrieval easier and faster; reduce administrative errors; and allow electronic information exchange with the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs and commercial care providers.

The Coast Guard's EHR program, once fully implemented, will service all Coast Guard clinics and sick bays - ashore and afloat.

For more information: eHRa Program page