Shepherd Center Launches MyChart Patient Portal

Shepherd Center recently launched MyChart, a patient portal, for patients who use Shepherd Center outpatient services. Powered by the electronic health record platform Epic, MyChart offers patients personalized and secure online access to portions of their medical records.

“At Shepherd Center, we’re always looking for ways to improve the experience of our patients and their caregivers,” said Sarah Morrison, PT, MBA, MHA, president and CEO. “Patients and caregivers can more fully engage with their healthcare because MyChart makes health information more readily accessible to patients in a secure manner.”

Access to MyChart allows patients to:

• See their health information in one place.
  Patients or their proxies can find their medication list, test results, upcoming appointments, preventative care information, allergies, immunizations, past admissions, insurance coverage and more – all in one secure place.
   
• Connect with their team from anywhere. 
  From their MyChart inbox, patients can send a message to a member of their healthcare team and receive answers to non-urgent medical questions, as well as responses to their questions and requests about prescriptions and refills, test results, medical provider visits and referrals to other providers.
   
• Stay informed about their health.
  MyChart helps serve as the control center for patients’ health in a streamlined format. In it, patients can view their to-do list, health reminders and proxy access (if applicable) and access Medline Plus, a search engine for health topics.

Outpatients do not need to take any action to enroll in MyChart. When they schedule their next appointment with a Shepherd provider, a MyChart activation code will automatically be emailed to the outpatient if Shepherd Center has the patient’s current email address on file. Also, at the conclusion of the outpatient’s next appointment, the patient will be provided with an activation code that will allow them to register for MyChart. If outpatients wish to receive an activation code ahead of their next appointment, they may call or email Shepherd Center’s MyChart Support Team at 404-425-7250 or MyChartSupport@shepherd.org to request a MyChart activation code. . Please provide the patient’s full legal name and date of birth in your request. After receiving the activation code, patients can visit mychart.shepherd.org to set up their account and log in.

If patients already use MyChart through Piedmont Healthcare, they will automatically have access to their Shepherd Center MyChart. They can visit mychart.shepherd.org, and enter their existing Piedmont User ID and Password.

If patients experience any technical difficulties with MyChart, they can contact Shepherd Center’s MyChart Support Team at 404-425-7250 to leave a message. One of our representatives will return their call typically with one business day. Patients can learn more about MyChart at shepherd.org/MyChart.

“This launch of MyChart at Shepherd Center is just the first phase in terms of functionality for patients,” said Brian Barnette, CHCIO, CISSP, CPHIMS, PMP, vice president and chief information officer at Shepherd Center. “Subsequent phases of MyChart will add the ability for patients to make and/or check-in for appointments online, conduct telehealth sessions with their provider, pay bills electronically, and use MyChart Beside during their inpatient stay at Shepherd.”

Patients must be 18 years or older to register for MyChart. If they are younger than 18 years old, they will need to have their parent or guardian register on their behalf by completing the appropriate proxy form that is available for download at shepherd.org/MyChart.

Shepherd Center is in an Epic Community Connect partnership with Piedmont Healthcare, meaning Shepherd Center is hosted on Piedmont’s Epic platform. That means some of the email communication patients receive will include the Piedmont name and branding. The team at Shepherd Center is still the main point of contact for Shepherd Center patients’ MyChart account and their care.