Delta Memorial Hospital and Delta Health Services located in Dumas, Arkansas joins the State Health Alliance for Records Exchange (SHARE), the statewide health information exchange network that electronically connects Arkansas hospitals, physicians and clinicians to safely and securely exchange patient health information. Connecting to SHARE allows Delta Memorial Hospital and Delta Health Services to further augment its continuity of care while improving access to a patient’s information for diagnosis and treatment. Delta Memorial has integrated SHARE into its Health Information Exchange (HIE) application—Evident EMR System—to help improve patient safety and reduce potential medication and medical errors.
“As one of the state’s leading critical access hospital systems in the Arkansas delta region, Delta Memorial Hospital is a valued member and further expands the SHARE Network’s reach throughout Arkansas. By connecting Delta Memorial Hospital to SHARE, its care delivery teams can more readily access comprehensive and up-to-date patient information both statewide and nationwide.” said Anne Santifer, Director, Office of Health Information Technology, a division of Arkansas Department of Health that oversees SHARE.
Ashley Anthony, CEO of Delta Memorial Hospital, stated “Delta Memorial Hospital participation in the statewide health information exchange network will allow us to further improve quality and patient safety as we lead improvements in medicine,” said Anthony.
Through SHARE, providers at Delta Memorial Hospital and Delta Health Services can improve both direct care delivery and coordination by having ever-present access to clinical information, such as medical history, previous diagnoses, lab tests, medications, and allergies. Additionally, access is available to historical medical data on patients using the SHARE virtual health records allows for gap closures and reduction in potential readmissions. SHARE provides Delta Memorial Hospital 24-hour daily reports on all readmissions.
The 30-day readmission notification allows Delta Memorial to receive a secure message notification when a patient that discharged from their facility, was readmitted into any SHARE participating hospital within a 30-day timeframe. Delta Health Services Clinic also receives SHARE daily reports that make available to healthcare providers the most recent critical events, such as emergency department discharge and inpatient discharges, with patients within the last 24 hours regardless of insurance. This allow the hospital and clinic to focus on transitions of care and gap closures.
Staff members at Delta Memorial Hospital have already found that the HIE application tool helps them provide a more comprehensive patient experience. Carole Neely, Care Coordinator at Delta Health Services Clinic, shared her interactions with clinical staff at the clinic. “When I showed the triage nurse how to pull in the records for our patients’ pediatrician specialist at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, she loved it. She was particularly excited about seeing the discharge summary in real-time. For patients moving or visiting other healthcare facilities, access to this information is invaluable.”
Delta Memorial Hospital is part of the Arkansas Rural Health Partnership (ARHP) comprised of 14 rural hospital members spanning South Arkansas. Together it continues to expand, nurture, and provide programs throughout the Partnership’s individual communities and the Arkansas Delta region. As part of the ARHP, Delta Memorial Hospital received a grant from Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield to integrate their EMR system to SHARE to improve quality in Desha County and surrounding communities in South Arkansas.
SHARE is helping to transform the quality of care for—and the health of—Arkansans and has successfully connected members, which are comprised of other state HIEs, hospital systems, physician groups, various specialist, and individual practitioners. The Network currently reaches counties across the entire state and has millions of patient records accessible to providers.
About Delta Memorial Hospital:
Delta Memorial Hospital began serving our community in 1949 as Desha County Hospital when a new healthcare facility was constructed at 300 Pickens Street in Dumas. The facility was licensed for 49 acute hospital beds.
In December of 1975 the Desha County Hospital Association was organized as a not-for-profit corporation to assume responsibility for the operation of the hospital. The organization is governed by a board of directors composed of citizens who reside in the hospital's service area. In July of 1983 the name of the corporation and hospital was changed to Delta Memorial Hospital.
Delta Memorial Hospital develops a Home Health Agency to address the skilled nursing care needs of area residents. The Home Health Agency is certified to participate in the Medicare Program in April 1991. In October 2005, Delta Memorial Hospital was certified as a Critical Access Hospital under the Medicare Conditions of Participation. Converting to a Critical Access Hospital required the hospital to reduce its licensed bed capacity to 25 acute/swing-beds.
In June of 2006, Delta Memorial Hospital relocated to a new healthcare facility at 811 South 65 Highway in Dumas. The building was constructed and is owned by the City of Dumas. The facility is leased by the hospital corporation for the purpose of providing health care services to area residents.
In May 2007, Delta Memorial Hospital develops a hospital owned group medical practice, Delta Health Services, to address the primary health care needs of area residents.
About ARHP+
Unifying Care, Transforming Communities.
Arkansas Rural Health Partnership (ARHP) is a public nonprofit comprised of 14 rural hospital members spanning South Arkansas. Together it continues to expand, nurture and provide programs throughout the Partnership’s individual communities and the Arkansas Delta region.
Over the past decade, ARHP has grown from 5 to 14-member hospitals, obtained over $12M in grant funding, and successfully implemented and sustained 52 grant-funded programs across the 22-county rural service area. ARHP has become a reference point and model for rural health innovation and collaboration across the state and nation. ARHP’s outreach programs and services address the needs of our local communities. They are a direct result of listening to the communities and member organizations. Community health needs assessments conducted for each community hospital function as a foundation for all ARHP programs and services.
