MHS GENESIS: Coming Soon to a Hawaii MTF Near You
Navy Capt. Benjamin Lee is a Family Practice Physician at Branch Health Clinic Makalapa on Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam. He is a provider on the Gold Team and provides care to patients from infants to adults. (U.S. Army photo Macy Hinds)
On September 25, 2021, the Hawaii Military Health System, consisting of Tripler Army Medical Center, Naval Health Clinic Hawaii, Desmond T. Doss Health Clinic, and 15th Medical Group, will transition to the Department of Defense’s new electronic health record, MHS GENESIS.
When fully implemented, MHS GENESIS will provide a single health record for service members, veterans, and their families that can be accessed securely 24/7 from any electronic device. The new system offers enhanced, secure technology, integrating inpatient and outpatient health records across the continuum of care from the point of injury to the military medical treatment facility. Eventually MHS GENESIS will be used throughout the Department of Defense, offering a single electronic health records system servicing all military branches.
The MHS GENESIS Patient Portal will replace TRICARE Online. Starting September 25, patients will be able to utilize the Patient Portal to view their electronic health records; exchange secure messages with their health care team; schedule appointments; request prescription renewals; review clinical notes, referrals, and lab results; and much more.
Prior to September 25, patients should verify their personal information in DEERS and can do so by visiting their nearest military ID card office or going online to the milConnect page . Beneficiaries without a Common Access Card (CAC) will need to create a DS Logon Premium account at myaccess.dmdc.osd.mil/. Once patients have successfully created their DS Logon or accessed the website via their CAC, they will need to upgrade their account to “Premium Access”. Upon completion of the preliminary steps, patients will be able to access the new MHS GENESIS Patient Portal by logging on to the DS Logon page.
The MHS GENESIS launch follows months of extensive preparation, including up to 120 hours of staff training, internal infrastructure changes, and equipment upgrades. During the first few weeks, providers and patients can expect to experience reduced availability of appointments and increased wait times as providers and staff adjust to new work flows, processes, and clinical software.
Hawaii beneficiaries can help prepare for the transition to MHS GENESIS by 1) scheduling routine appointments as soon as possible; 2) verifying all personal information in DEERS is up-to-date; 3) ensuring DS Logon Premium access is established; and 4) maintaining hardcopies of healthcare referrals.
Navy Capt. Darryl Green, deputy director of Hawaii Market, stated, “To minimize challenges patients may experience before, during, and after our transition to MHS GENESIS, we have implemented several options for patients to conveniently access care and medical assistance 24/7. Options include the Military Health System Nurse Advice Line 800-874-2273,
Doctor on Demand
virtual medical and behavioral care, and
TeleMynd
virtual behavioral care. The transition challenges are temporary and we will resume regular operations as soon as possible.”
For more information about the new electronic health record, beneficiaries can visit the
MHS GENESIS webpage.