Health care providers at two San Antonio-area military treatment facilities now have instant access to their patients’ medical histories, thanks to a new electronic records management system. In time, the new system – called Essentris – will be a mainstay at all Defense Department hospitals and clinics. "Essentris allows us to have an inpatient medical records system that can be accessed from either Wilford Hall Medical Center [at Lackland Air Force Base] and Brook Army Medical Center [at Fort Sam Houston], improving real-time access to inpatient information and patient safety," says Maj. Jay Ludescher, the chief information officer for the 59th Medical Wing at Wilford Hall. With the advent of the automated records system, care providers can follow x-ray studies, lab-test results, x-rays, and other relevant information as patients move through the facilities’ system.
