HEATHCARE UPDATE: Lake Charles Memorial Hospital Initiated Epic New Medical Records System

On October 1, 2024, Lake Charles Memorial Health System (LCMHS) launched the Epic electronic medical record (EMR) system, enhancing healthcare delivery across Southwest Louisiana. This transition, following 18 months of preparation, represents a $40 million investment in patient-centered care, unifying patient records and empowering patients through tools like the MyChart patient portal. This historic shift elevates patient care, equips providers with elite tools to care for patients, and allows for exponential growth in services offered to patients for years to come.

“We are incredibly excited to offer this level and caliber of care to our patients.” says Devon Hyde, president & CEO of Lake Charles Memorial Health System. “It’s the most advanced shift in Memorial’s dedication to patient-centered care and will allow LCMHS to be well-positioned for the future of healthcare innovation.”

This patient-centered investment highlights Memorial’s commitment to serving the community and the continuing efforts to meet the healthcare needs of all people in SWLA. As a not-for-profit healthcare system, LCMHS prioritizes reinvesting its revenue into initiatives that directly enhance care and benefit those it serves. For this reason, LCMHS identified Epic as the optimal choice for enhancing services while ensuring a fiscally responsible approach to technology—one that balances innovation with stewardship of community resources.

Epic creates a centralized and seamless healthcare ecosystem that supports informed decision-making for providers. By weaving together every chapter of a patient’s medical journey, Epic ensures that care teams, both within and beyond the LCMHS system, craft a complete narrative of a patient’s medical journey. This interconnected story empowers providers to make well-informed decisions at each moment in a patient’s path to wellness.

One of the most transformative elements of this endeavor is the introduction of MyChart, a new patient portal that empowers patients to become more involved in their healthcare stories. With MyChart, patients can schedule appointments, communicate with providers, view test results, and manage bills—all in one place.

As the journey continues in 2025, LCMHS continues to educate patients and providers and begin exploring AI initiatives such as automated discharge summaries and care plans. This ongoing transformation reflects LCMHS’s unwavering dedication to innovation and its mission to enhance patient care for the future. As this bold new chapter unfolds, the shared goal is clear: to better advance healthcare for all people in Southwest Louisiana, one patient journey at a time.