Monticello Big Lake Community Hospital in Minnesota is beginning a phased installment of an electronic health record system, the Monticello Times reports.
The hospital plans over the next five to 10 years to install the EHR system, which Lynn Olson, chief operating officer at the hospital, estimated will cost $1 million to $2 million. The hospital currently is looking into electronic order entry and results reporting and plans this summer to select a vendor and begin installation in the fall.
The hospital when selecting vendors will look for the ability to exchange data with other hospitals and clinics in the area, Olson said.
Nearly 57% of large clinics and 25% of small clinics in Minnesota have adopted EHRs or are in the process of adopting the technology, the Times reports. The Minnesota Legislature has established a 2015 deadline for all of the state's hospitals and clinics to adopt EHRs. The Minnesota Department of Health has set a goal of 2012 for EHR adoption, according to Bill Brand, deputy director of the Center for Health Informatics at the department (Eldred, Monticello Times, 1/17).