Woman's Hospital in Baton Rouge, La., entered contract negotiations with LCMC Health to join the New Orleans-based system's Epic EHR platform, according to an Aug. 3 Greater Baton Rouge Business Report.
Woman's Hospital began looking for a partner in June that would share its Epic EHR system so the 165-bed hospital wouldn't have to buy access on its own; the hospital estimated that a solo implementation would cost it $200 million over the next seven years.
LCMC Health was selected among several Louisiana healthcare systems that responded to Woman's Hospital's information request. LCMC owns Children's Hospital New Orleans, East Jefferson General Hospital, West Jefferson Medical Center, New Orleans East Hospital and University Medical Center, according to the report.
Woman's Hospital estimated that contract negotiations with LCMC will take 12-18 months, and it is unclear how much it will take the hospital to hook up to LCMC's Epic system.
"We are not selling the hospital. We remain independent and our brand remains unchanged. Both organizations will maintain separate support and administrative functions," Woman’s Hospital CEO Barbara Griffith said in an email to hospital staff, according to the report. "But these advancements will give our staff more connectivity to patients and other physicians, allowing us to make faster and more informed decisions."