Brian Christensen/Daily News photo

IRON MOUNTAIN — Dickinson County Healthcare recently completed a significant upgrade to its electronic medical records system by launching Athenahealth.

The system used by nearly half of the health care providers in the U.S., Athenahealth improves efficiency, speed of communication and is instrumental in helping DCH expand services for patients.

Athenahealth provides an entirely secure, seamless exchange of medical information between doctors, nursing staff and patients. Full integration offers a robust new platform allowing patients to access their medical records, request appointments, refill prescriptions, review test/lab results, and communicate electronically with their health care team, all online.

“Dickinson County Healthcare is proud to bring the highest levels of electronic health information management to our providers and patients,” said Mandy Shelast, Dickinson County Healthcare VP of Physician Services and Clinical Networks.

Patients benefit from the technology upgrade because they can now more easily manage their health care.

DCH medical staff has the advantage of an unprecedented level of information access and sharing the Athenahealth system delivers. It allows the medical teams to more easily collaborate and share information about a patient’s specific health. Also, staff can more easily review patient health history and track and review progress and medication patterns. Visits will be most productive and beneficial.

DCH started using Athenahealth on May 11.

“It reinforces the patient’s understanding of their care by allowing them to log in, review their medical information and ask any questions whenever they need. Athenahealth gives us increased communication allowing for more ways to help our patients stay healthy,” Shelast said.

Serving northern Wisconsin and the central Upper Peninsula for more than 69 years, Dickinson County Healthcare System includes the 49-bed Dickinson County Memorial Hospital and more than 70 active providers that each year treats more than 160,000 patients.