Sunnybrook and Central CCAC Partner to Give Patients Convenient and Easy E-Tool to Self-Manage Their Health

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Feb. 19, 2013) - Thousands of people in the Central region will now be able to better manage their health through online access to their personal health information, thanks to a partnership between Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the Central Community Care Access Centre (CCAC).

Central CCAC patients will now have access to the Sunnybrook-created personal health record system, MyChart™.

"By giving people access to their personal health information through MyChart™, Central CCAC is helping them to have more of a say in their care, and ultimately more control over their health. This fits with our patient-focused approach," says Cathy Szabo, Chief Executive Officer, Central CCAC. "We are pleased to work with Sunnybrook to make this valuable resource available to patients and families in our communities."

The information in the MyChart™ record comes directly from each organization's electronic patient record system. It can be used by patients to monitor care while traveling, set up family records, manage a family member's health information and care plan, keep care providers up to date, set up emergency information, and access care in the community. Many of these features will be available to Central CCAC patients who register for MyChart™.

The seeds of this initiative were planted more than two years ago, when Sunnybrook and Central CCAC first teamed up to make MyChart™ accessible to the more than 2,000 patients who are referred to the CCAC annually from the Hospital.

"We are not only providing patients with a more complete view of their health journey in one record, but also improved access to care providers outside the walls of the Hospital," says Sarina Cheng, Director Health Records Department, IS & eHealth Strategies, at Sunnybrook. "This approach to healthcare encourages patients to take an active part in their wellness, which ultimately benefits the whole continuum of care, patients and their families."

Quick facts:

• Over 1.4 million Sunnybrook patients in the hospital's electronic patient record system can access MyChart™ since its launch over 7 years ago.
• Every year, Central CCAC receives over 2,200 patient referrals from Sunnybrook.
• Central CCAC served over 68,000 patients in 2011-2012.

About Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is inventing the future of health care for the 1.2 million patients the hospital cares for each year through the dedication of its more than 10,000 staff and volunteers. An internationally recognized leader in research and education and a full affiliation with the University of Toronto distinguishes Sunnybrook as one of Canada's premier academic health sciences centres. Sunnybrook specializes in caring for high-risk pregnancies, critically-ill newborns and adults, offering specialized rehabilitation and treating and preventing cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological and psychiatric disorders, orthopaedic and arthritic conditions and traumatic injuries. The Hospital also has a unique and national leading program for the care of Canada's war veterans. For more information about how Sunnybrook is inventing the future of health care please visit us online at www.sunnybrook.ca.

About Central CCAC

The Central Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) is a quality health care organization funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care through the Central Local Health Integration Network (LHIN). It provides a single point of access to health and personal support services to help people live independently in their homes and to transition to other care settings such as long-term care. The CCAC plans, coordinates and ensures the delivery of a full range of in-home and community-based services to support patients and their caregivers. It also provides people with information and connects them to alternate sources of care in the community. Central CCAC's leading practices are creating quality care for the more than 1.7 million people who reside in the highly diverse communities of South Simcoe, York Region, North York and areas of northern Toronto. Learn more at www.central.ccac-ont.ca.