New names on the way for St. John's, Sisters of Mercy

Hospitals within Springfield-based St. John’s Health System, including those in Springfield, Cassville and Aurora, will have new names later this year, following a spring name change for parent entity St. Louis-based Sisters of Mercy Health System, which will become Mercy Health.

Sisters of Mercy President and CEO Lynn Britton said the new names for the hospitals and associated clinic facilities have not yet been determined, and he noted that the changes signify an ongoing shift for the health system to present a unified image for patients in all the communities it serves.

“What we realize as leaders and physicians across all our different communities across the four states is that we’re stronger together, and that health care is local, regional and virtual all at the same time,” Britton said.

More than five years ago, Sisters of Mercy launched the implementation of a $450 million electronic health record system – introduced in Springfield clinics in 2008 and at St. John’s Hospital in 2009 – which gives providers in Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas real-time access to patient data.

Sisters of Mercy also has launched MyMercy, a new Web-based service that connects patients to providers systemwide and enables them to see medical information, view test results, renew prescriptions or set appointments.

The challenge, Britton said, is that patients don’t always realize that they’re being cared for within the same health system when they are referred to multiple providers.

That, he said, is where the name changes – and a common identity – can be beneficial.

“It’s a real way to say, ‘We’re one across all communities,” Britton said.
 
Look to the Feb. 18 Early Friday Edition or the Feb. 21 print edition of Springfield Business Journal to learn more about changes at Sisters of Mercy and St. John’s health systems.[[In-content Ad]]