Open Source EHR Systems Spreading Across Hawaii and the Pacific Rim

The following is a quick update on the slow but steady increase in the use of 'open source' electronic health record (EHR) systems in Hawaii and other U.S. Territories across the Pacific Rim as of April 2013. See the map of healthcare facilities running some variant of the open source VistA electronic health record (EHR) system

In Hawaii, all of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare facilities are continuing to use the well known, award winning VistA system. VA healthcare facilities using VistA include the:

-  VA Medical Center, Honolulu, Oahu, HI
-  VA Community Outpatient Clinic, Hilo, Hawaii, HI
-  VA Community Outpatient Clinic, Kona, Hawaii, HI
-  VA Community Outpatient Clinic, Kahului, Maui, HI
-  VA Community Outpatient Clinic, Lihue, Kauai, HI

Also, the DoD Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu is using a version of VistA known as the Composite Health Care System (CHCS).

The following non-VA healthcare facilities in Hawaii are currently using a variant of the VistA system known as RPMS:

-  Kahuku Medical Center, Kahuku, Oahu, HI
-  Hui Malama Native Hawaiian Clinic
-  Napuu Wai Native Hawaiian Health Center
-  State of Hawaii Department of Health (Public Health Nursing)
-  State of Hawaii Department of Health (Children & Adolescent Mental Health Division)

Outside of the Hawaiian Island, the following are other healthcare facilities across the Pacific Rim also using the VistA system:

-  VA Community Outpatient Clinic, Pago Pago, American Samoa
-  LBJ Tropical Medical Center, Pago Pago, American Samoa
-  VA Community Outpatient Clinic, Agana Heights, Guam
-  VA Outpatient Clinic, Manila, Philippines

The LBJ Tropical Medical Center also support the Community Health Centers and the health dispensaries on the islands of Manua and Aunuu.  VistA is the only EHR that is used in American Samoa today. 

The following healthcare facilities across the Pacific Rim are currently using the RPMS system  (does not include the Hawaiian Islands):

-  Commonwealth Health Center (Acute Care Hosptal), Mariana Islands
-  Rota Outpatient Clinic, Mariana Islands
-  Tinian Outpatient Clinic, Mariana, Islands
-  Kagman Community Health Center, Mariana, Islands

There are also two private clinics that are planning to use the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) RPMS system under a Network Development Grant.

-  Guam Southern CHC (large 330 clinic)
-  Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services (HIV, STD, TB, Family Planning, etc.)

Other private clinics in Guam are planning to use the RPMS system if the Guam Community Health Centers (CHC) are successful in using a Network Development Grant to help the private providers. 

Aside from VistA and RPMS, there are also a growing number of healthcare facilities in Pacific Rim countries using other open source EHR systems like OpenMRS and OpenEMR. As stated before, healthcare facilities using open source EHR systems are steadily increasing and spreading across Hawaii and the Pacific Rim.

* See the emerging map of all healthcare facilities across the U.S. and around the world that have installed or are using VistA,RPMS or some other variant of the system, e.g. CHCS, OpenVistA, vxVistA, WorldVistA..
 

A special salute to Dr. Norman Okamura and the Telecommunication and Social Informatics Research Program (TASI) at the University of Hawaii in Manoa for guiding many of the innovative health informatics initiatives both in Hawaii and with other partners across the Pacific Rim.