Patients of UR Medicine Finger Lakes Health primary care and specialty practices will lose access to their current online portals Oct. 24, ahead of the health system's move to MyChart and a new electronic health record system Nov. 1.
The change will end access to prescription refill requests, provider messages and past information through those practice portals, according to an Oct. 13 Finger Lakes Health release and the system's patient portal transition notice. Patients who rely on those functions should plan for the interruption and contact their provider's office with questions.
Online appointment scheduling will also pause Oct. 16 through Oct. 31, except for Urgent Care, the release said. Patients will be able to schedule appointments online through MyChart beginning Nov. 1.
MyChart already offers some features, but the full rollout is set for Nov. 1, when patients will be able to connect with their care teams and access available health information and services. Patients can sign up for MyChart before then.
Practice and hospital portals have different end dates
The Oct. 24 retirement applies to primary care and specialist practice portals. Finger Lakes Health's separate portal for Geneva General Hospital and Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital is scheduled to close Dec. 31, according to the system's transition notice. Patients should not confuse the two deadlines.
The health system says medical records will be transferred to its new eRecord system. Patients who need copies during the transition can visit the Medical Records Department at Geneva General Hospital from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday through Jan. 3, 2027. The system's online notice says in-person record requests will no longer be available there beginning Jan. 4.
For help by phone through Oct. 31, patients can call 315-787-4120. Beginning Nov. 1, the number is 585-275-2605. Patients with questions specific to their care or appointments should contact their provider's office.
Finger Lakes Health said the transition is intended to connect patient information and care teams across University of Rochester Medicine. The changes affect how patients use the portals during the changeover; they do not mean patients must wait until Nov. 1 to ask their provider for help.
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