MyChart Has Arrived

MyChart, the patient portal for the EPIC electronic health record system, is one of the most widely used systems in health care. In fact, many National Jewish Health patients likely already have a MyChart account with a different health system.

“MyChart is a robust portal with many features that make it easy for patients to access their health information and communicate with their care team,” explained David Beuther, MD, chief medical information officer for National Jewish Health. “It’s exciting to be able to offer it to our patients.”

MyChart is a secure way to access health information and receive care from a smartphone, tablet or computer. It is very intuitive to set up and navigate, and it has a variety of useful features for patients:

• Schedule a visit with a new or existing provider
• View your health information
• Communicate with your care team
• Start a video visit
• Manage appointments
• Manage your accounts and payments
• Access your family’s records with a proxy account

“I think one of the most useful features for National Jewish Health patients will be the ability to link their accounts,” said Dr. Beuther. 

Many patients at National Jewish Health also are patients at other health care organizations around the country. MyChart lets you pull all of your medical records together and view them in one place. When you connect your accounts from participating organizations, information from those organizations appears right in your MyChart, including allergies, health history, medications and more. No more logging into multiple accounts to view your health information.

If a health care organization or medical provider is not using MyChart, patients can still provide one-time access to their medical record to any clinician in the world with Internet access.

MyChart has replaced the My National Jewish Health patient portal system that has been available to National Jewish Health patients for more than a decade. While the legacy portal was cutting-edge when it was first introduced, there have been challenges keeping up with rapid technology changes and increasing regulations surrounding patients’ access to health information.

“MyChart provides a way for patients to access many services in one place,” said Dr. Beuther. 

For example, National Jewish Health began offering telehealth appointments via Zoom during the pandemic. These telehealth appointments will now be called Video Visits, and patients will log in to MyChart to attend.

“Zoom was a helpful short-term solution for telehealth appointments, but we need a tool that can grow with us,” explained Dr. Beuther.

Patient billing is also now managed through MyChart. With our legacy billing system, patients were not able to view their bills online. With MyChart, they can both view and pay bills for services related to clinic visits beginning May 1, 2023, within the portal.

“Change is always difficult, but as we transition from our legacy systems to EPIC and MyChart, patients will enjoy the benefits of a much more seamless online experience,” said Dr. Beuther.

To sign up for a MyChart account, patients can download the app from their mobile device store or visit njhealth.org/mychart.