By: Ashmar Mandou

In an effort to provide ample health and digital equity to underserved communities, Meridian Health Plan of Illinois, Inc. (Meridian), a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, announced a substantial donation of $100,000 to Sinai Chicago.

“We appreciate Meridian’s commitment to this incredible initiative,” said Dr. Ngozi Ezike, CEO of Sinai Chicago. “It is good to have partners who believe strongly in our mission to eliminate health disparities. This game-changing solution puts Sinai on the same level as the top health systems in the country by modernizing Sinai’s capabilities and truly transforming its work allowing Sinai caregivers to work better and faster, providing better care and service for the people they serve.”

Meridian’s donation was made possible through Sinai Chicago’s Digital Health Transformation campaign. The implementation of Epic over the last 18 months will allow Sinai Chicago to renovate its quality of care and service environment. “Meridian is proud to help support Sinai Chicago gain access to a fully integrated, modern EMR system,” said Cristal Gary, Meridian Plan President and CEO. “We are excited to be a part of this transition which has the potential to be one of the most significant and impactful investments in Sinai Chicago’s quality of care in decades and will better serve the community and our members.”

With a service area that includes 1.5 million Chicagoans living on the south and west sides, Sinai Chicago serves populations who have experienced limited access to health services. According to Sinai Chicago, these patients face challenges accessing new health technology. Sinai Chicago seeks to change this dynamic through the implementation of a new best-in-class Electronic Medical Records System (EMR), Epic. Sinai Chicago launched Epic on September 7, 2023, replacing its previous EMR systems, which were dated and required communication between multiple platforms.

With the help of Meridian’s grant, Sinai Chicago’s new EMR technology will provide a single place for all patient information. This includes quality of care, patient safety, and patient engagement. By using this single, uniform system, patients, physicians, and caregivers have easy access to the complete records of patients in any care setting at Sinai Chicago. In addition, healthcare users will have secure and comprehensive patient data and analytics right at their fingertips. In the end, moving to Epic will increase efficiency, reduce complexity, and improve both patient and physician satisfaction. “Moving to Epic is an investment in truly transforming the care our patients receive at Sinai Chicago, making sure they and their loved ones receive the right care, at the right place, at the right time,” said Dr. Ezike. “This new system allows us to efficiently use healthcare information across our system, providing the efficient and effective healthcare our communities deserve.”