Petaluma (Calif.) Valley Hospital's transition to a new hospital operator may be delayed at least one year or longer due to complications with the hospital's EMR system, according to the Argus Courier.
Ramona Faith, RN, MSN, CEO of the hospital's owner Petaluma Health Care District, said Irvine, Calif.-based St. Joseph Health — Petaluma hospital's current operator — uses an EMR system linked to the health system's other various health facilities. Health IT specialists claim the hospital must build its own separate EMR system before El Segundo, Calif.-based Paladin Healthcare can takeover management of the hospital, according to the report.
The process could take at least one year to complete and cost the healthcare district at least $6 million, the report states. However, St. Joseph Health has reportedly offered $2 million to help with the construction of the records system.
Ms. Faith said the district must finalize an operating agreement with Paladin Healthcare and a transfer agreement with St. Joseph Health before it can begin construction on the new EHR system.
Petaluma Health Care District officials said they initially hoped to ratify an operating agreement with Paladin Healthcare in November. The delays, however, caused the district to miss the deadline last week to place a measure on the district's November ballot, the report states.