Munson Medical Center, located in Traverse City, MI, in collaboration with five other hospitals (Mercy Hospital, Cadillac, MI, Mercy Hospital, Grayling, MI, Kalkaska Memorial Health Center, Kalkaska, MI, Paul Oliver Memorial Health Center, Frankfort, MI, and Leelanau Memorial Health Center, Northport, MI) and many participating rural health clinics, provides a coordinated system of healthcare to residents of northwest lower Michigan. The patient population in this nine county region consists of many who are uninsured, underserved, transient migrant workers, or of Native American descent. One of the challenges faced by Munson Health System is providing electronic access to quality, peer reviewed clinical medical and lay level health information to assist health care providers in improving health outcomes. The lack of a broad population base and rural nature of the area served compounds the challenge of providing a mechanism to educate health care providers. This project would provide system-wide access and training to external electronic resources to health care providers within the Munson Health System service area. This proposal also includes a health information model designed for patients and community members served by Munson Health System. This model outlines the communities need to access electronic lay level health information and be informed partners in their health care decisions. Through the Northern Michigan Access Project, the six affiliate hospitals propose creating a digital library website that links various external electronic health information databases in a user-friendly manner to partnering hospitals and clinics. Not only will this project make information available to more clinicians, but it will also ensure that health professionals who deliver care at multiple sites within the system have access to clinical and lay level information at all sites. This proposal allows all hospitals to access the same resources. Patients in the Munson Health System service area can rely on the same standard of care at any site within the system. By providing access to this digital library website, patients and other members of the community will be able to participate more fully in their own health care plans.
