Growing numbers of community hospitals opting for 'open source' VistA EHR system

There’s no shortage of discrete EHR packages for providers to choose from as they look to digitize their records. But for some providers the solution may lie in programs that have essentially piggybacked on the technology used in one of the largest EHR systems in the world.

For example, Oklahoma-based Stiwell Memorial Hospital recently tapped Medsphere Systems Corporation’s OpenVista EHR system, which is an open source derivative of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affair’s massive VistA program.

The 50-bed community medical center will take advantage of OpenVista's flexibility and comprehensive clinical support, as well as Medsphere’s rapid implementation process and clinical transformation services.

"For community hospitals like Stilwell Memorial — safety net care providers, essentially — the OpenVista EHR meets a need that the larger healthcare technology companies simply don’t," said Alan Adams, Stiwell’s CEO.