Gunnison Valley Health Brings Medical Records to your Fingertips

Patients of Gunnison Valley Health can now access their medical records through Health Records on iPhone, a simple and secure Apple health app that makes it easy for patients to view their medical data from multiple providers whenever they choose.

Gunnison Valley Health’s Director of Management Information Systems Trevor Smith said the new app created by Apple brings together hospitals and other participating facilities to securely store patient health records in one convenient location.

“Previously, patients’ medical records were held in multiple locations requiring users to log into each care provider’s website and piece together their health information manually,” said Mr. Smith.

“Health Records on iPhone organizes the patients’ medical information into one view, covering allergies, conditions, immunizations, lab results, medications, procedures, vitals and will provide notifications when their data has been updated,” he said.

“Securely storing medical data in one simple location provides our patients with a better understanding of their overall health and highlights key elements of their medical history when visiting a new doctor,” he said.

Smith added that to facilitate the flow of data to Health Records on iPhone, patients must first be members of Gunnison Valley Health’s Patient Portal for the hospital. Patients can easily access Health Records from within the health app, a standard app that is embedded on their iPhone. By simply selecting Gunnison Valley Health and authenticating with their hospital patient portal username and password, patients’ health data will securely transfer into the app. Smith did mention that the new app does only support medical records obtained from the hospital and that we are waiting for our clinic software partners (which affects Family Medicine Clinic, WCU Campus Medical Clinic and Surgical Services) to finish building the interface with Apple Health. Smith confirmed that Health Records data is encrypted and protected with the user’s iPhone passcode, Touch ID or Face ID.

Gunnison Valley Health’s CEO Rob Santilli said streamlining medical data in a convenient location enables a sharing of information between patients and caregivers which ultimately results in more effective care.

“For a small rural health system, we continually look for opportunities to enhance our patients’ experience with us,” said Mr. Santilli. “We are delighted to place our medical records in the hands of our patients and to empower them to actively participate in their overall health,” said Mr. Santilli.