WRNMMC, Bethesda, Md.   –   Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) ensured patients and staff felt empowered when navigating MHS GENESIS during their Patient Portal Training and Q&A sessions held Mar. 27-30.

Thanks to the collaborative effort between WRNMMC, Defense Health Agency's designated Pay-It-Forward (PIF) team, and the Leidos Partnership for Defense Health (LPDH), the four-day Patient Portal Training and Q&A sessions allowed patients and staff to learn and ask questions about the new electronic health record system.

"We are pleased to have successfully conducted these sessions and ease any confusion," said Aaron Heinrichs, Department Chief of Managed Care at WRNMMC. "The sessions were well-received, and participant feedback has been positive overall. Many were engaged; some even brought their laptops for step-by-step help."

The team spent the morning half of each session day in the America Zone, first floor of Building 19, solely dedicated to answering questions. However, the afternoons were tailored to hourly PowerPoint training in Building 17 on the second floor.

"For patients, the training aided in the Defense Self-Service Logon (DSL) process and educating beneficiaries about the MHS GENESIS Patient Portal functionalities such as accessing medical records, exchanging secure messages with their health care team, and requesting prescription renewals," said Joselle McLaren, RN, MHS GENESIS Patient Portal Champion/Subject Matter Expect and PIF team member of USAMEDDAC Ft Carson, EACH. "For staff, the training was a follow-up review of MHS GENESIS Patient Portal's current functionalities and future capabilities so they can assist beneficiaries with any questions or concerns."

For Diane Yendrey, a 34-year military medical beneficiary, participating in the Patient Portal Training was worth the trip to Walter Reed.

"It was a drop everything and come here [to attend]," said Yendrey. "It's helpful to understand from a patient's perspective the difficulties in making the system work. Coming in person, I could see what I should see when I signed on. My confidence has improved. Hopefulness - greatly improved."

Andrew Cohen, WRNMMC Financial Analyst, was thankful for the training while empathizing with those who may have difficulty with this change.

"I think it [the training] was excellent, very informative, and I learned quite a bit," said Cohen. "I think there are some things that are going to be challenging, so I'm glad this was available so people can get a little more heads up on what to expect."

Yendrey, a patient at WRNMMC since 1999, agreed with Cohen, encouraging anyone hesitant about using the new patient portal to embrace the change.

"I've seen a lot of transformation happen at this facility, and it always amazes me how well this place functions even with the changes that have taken place over the years," said Yendrey. "I've been through several systems for doctor-patient communications. Computers aren't easy for me; I tend to get hung up a lot along the way, but if I can find someone who speaks that language, I'm in the right place."

Yendrey's motivation came from witnessing her husband's experience with being able to access and navigate the electronic health record.

"I see how well it works for him, so I'm hopeful that I, too, will be part of the [MHS GENESIS] program," said Yendrey.

McLaren shared that change gets much more manageable over time, but to be patient, "you're not alone, and help is available. Together, this can truly be a success."

For more information about MHS GENESIS and the MHS GENESIS Patient Portal, visit walterreed.tricare.mil/MHS-GENESIS.