Marshall Browning Hospital to Go Live with New Oracle Health EHR

Du Quoin, Illinois – July 8, 2026 — After years of planning and nearly a year of training, Marshall Browning Hospital will launch a new consolidated electronic health record (EHR) system using Oracle Health CommunityWorks on July 13, retiring multiple systems it has used for decades to store patients’ medical records. The advanced system will help elevate patient care and optimize financial outcomes. The hospital will also adopt Oracle Health Clinical AI Agent, an AI-powered, voice-driven solution that streamlines workflows and clinical documentation, helping physicians focus more on patient care.

Oracle brings nearly two decades of experience with rural healthcare organizations and a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities in rural areas. Oracle Health CommunityWorks is tailored to the clinical, financial, and operational needs of critical access hospitals. It will help providers streamline workflows, ease staffing burdens, and improve patient access.

“Working with Oracle Health will empower our physicians, advanced practice nurses and physician assistants with the tools to reduce administrative workload, so they can focus on what matters most – spending time with patients,” said Stephanie Hall, Chief Nursing Officer and Director of Clinical Services. “By connecting our teams and enabling smarter, data-driven decisions, we’re not only expanding access for our community but ensuring we remain a stable and trusted healthcare provider for years to come.”

With the new EHR, providers will no longer need to spend time sifting through dropdown menus and typing on their laptops to document patient visits. Instead, Oracle Health AI Agent will automatically draft structured notes from patient-physician interactions, so doctors only need to review and approve them. This reduces administrative work that contributes to provider burnout and enables them to focus on the patient during visits.

Marshall Browning will also be able to establish a single EHR across the campus, helping streamline workflows and ensure the right people have access to the right information at the right time.

“It’s a huge capital investment, but given that it affects nearly every department organization-wide, the scope and scale of the Oracle project are far beyond any of Marshall Browning Hospital’s previous endeavors,” said Dan Eaves, CEO. “You can’t touch it or see it, but you know it will be working behind the scenes.”

The need to consolidate the electronic records system used throughout the organization – including the Medical Clinic, Urgent Care, East Medical Clinic, Rehab, and the hospital - has been a consideration in the board of directors’ planning for several years. Hospital representatives met with representatives from several companies and viewed demonstrations of their systems before ultimately selecting Oracle Health.

Despite months of preparation, some tasks will not be completed until hours before the July 13 switch. On Sunday, hospital staff will arrive to set up patient profiles in the new system, with the primary focus on transferring the records of admitted patients from Meditech to Oracle. There will be many steps, and they will all occur in sequence. Michelle Warren, Oracle Implementation Project Manager, was

engaged early in 2025 to guide the hospital through the process. Dan Eaves praised her experience in helping transition to the new EHR system, adding, “Michelle is extremely knowledgeable and has been invaluable to us in this process.”

In addition to the project core team, nearly 50 Oracle team members will be providing support during the week of July 13 to help hospital staff acclimate to the new system. The hospital has an internal team of “super users” who received specialized training to serve as local support staff over the coming weeks. For the first several days, support staff and the hospital’s IT team will be available 24 hours a day. If staff encounter user issues, someone will be right there with them.

Patients will have the opportunity to enroll in the new patient-friendly HealtheLife patient portal, which is part of the new EHR system. The current Meditech patient portal will remain live through December 31, 2026. The new portal will allow patients to access their health information anytime, anywhere – on their smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop. With the portal, patients can view lab results, read after-visit summaries, view upcoming appointments and reminders, request medication renewals and refills, and send secure messages to their primary care provider. Staff will be stationed in registration areas to assist with enrollment during the week of July 13. The patient portal is completely secure, so patients can be confident that their private information is protected.

Hospital leadership appreciates your patience as they transition to the new system. As the hospital team trains on the new system, patients may experience slightly longer wait and visit times during appointments. These issues will be temporary. The hospital is committed to making the transition as seamless as possible for all patients. The hospital asks that all patients bring their photo ID, insurance cards, and a current medication list to appointments and arrive at least 30 minutes early.