Northern Health has reached a significant milestone with the successful implementation of the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) within Emergency Mental Health (EMH), marking an important step toward safer, more connected, and more consistent care for consumers.

Daniella Chapkoun, Clinical Informatics Advisor and Project Lead for the Mental Health EMR project, said she is proud to be leading the first phases of transitioning Mental Health into the EMR.

This initial phase represents a key step in moving away from hybrid documentation and strengthening digital integration across services.

John Dermanakis, Operations Director, Adult Bed Based Mental Health Division, reinforced the importance of the change, “Moving to a single EMR addresses the risks of fragmented documentation and enables more consistent, coordinated, and safer care for consumers across their entire health journey. This process will make it easier for critical clinical information to be utilised across the mental health community, emergency and inpatient services, enhancing best practice mental health care.”

Jimm Castro, Program Manager EMH, emphasised the importance of frontline involvement in shaping the solution, “While the full impact of these new workflows will be measured over time, we are confident that these long-awaited changes will significantly streamline our daily operations. Our frontline team has been deeply involved in the scoping and build phases, ensuring that our voices and recommendations were not only heard but actively integrated. This collaborative approach by the EMR team has made our staff feel valued and respected, resulting in an EMH-designed system that truly embodies our organisational value of Kind, Safe and Together. We are excited to roll out these changes, which will reduce the burden of outdated paperwork and release valuable time back to patient care.”

Terri Fiorenza, Director Electronic Medical Record, highlighted the broader significance of the achievement,“The successful implementation of Northern Health’s EMR within Emergency Mental Health marks a significant milestone for the Mental Health Division and is a testament to the exceptional teamwork behind it. Congratulations to everyone involved for their dedication, collaboration, and resilience in delivering this important change.”

Pictured in featured image (L-R): Hannah Dozzi, FirstNet EMR Analyst, Loveday MacHiweni, Emergency Mental Health Clinician and Jimm Castro, Program Manager EMH / PACER.