JCH&L Partnership Gains National Attention

Collaboration for online health tool featured as case study in rural health strategy

A partnership between Jefferson Community Health & Life, its software vendor and local organizations serving as early adopters of the hospital’s online health management tool is getting national exposure.

The collaborative partnership that gives consumers access to personalized health and wellness information is now featured in the 2017 Compendium of Best Practices in Rural Health Hospital-Community Partnerships, a publication of Bryan Health. It is one of 12 case studies that illustrate what is possible when hospitals and community organizations share resources, skills and services for a greater impact on population health.

Partnering with its software vendor, MEDHOST, Jefferson Community Health & Life introduced My Wellness Dashboard earlier this year. The free, web-based platform enables consumers to receive personalized health care content and track data from fitness and medical devices. Patients can access personal medical records through a connected patient portal.

As early adopter partners, Fairbury Public Library and Fairbury Public Schools helped raise awareness of the tool in the community by participating in a promotional contest. Within six months of launch, 194 people signed up for the dashboard, and 108 signed up for the patient portal.

“Thanks to My Wellness Dashboard, everyone in our community can have easy access to the information they need to manage their health and reach their wellness goals,” said Chad Jurgens, chief executive officer of Jefferson Community Health & Life.

The Compendium can be accessed at JCHealthandLife.org/about.