Case Study: Petaluma Health Center achieves improved patient engagement and integrated, award-winning community care with eClinicalWorks

Making a Difference in Northern California

Petaluma Health Center is a Federally Qualified Health Center in Sonoma County that serves about 31,000 patients a year—roughly 87% at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. Faced with diverse patient needs, language barriers, high visit volumes, and the mandate to deliver quality, cost‑effective care, the center needed a comprehensive health IT partner with strong patient engagement and population‑health tools to streamline workflows and better target community needs.

Petaluma implemented the eClinicalWorks EHR/PM suite—customizing flowsheets, order sets, eClinicalMobile, Patient Portal, Kiosk, and Messenger campaigns—and trained staff to use these tools. The result was integrated, higher‑quality care across medical, dental, and behavioral health; a blood‑pressure control rate that rose from 65% to 75% in one year; hepatitis C screening growth from 10% to 60% in three years with hundreds treated; ~70% Patient Portal adoption; and recognition with a 2017 HIMSS Davies Community Health Award.

Petaluma Health Center

Danielle Oryn

Chief Medical Informatics Officer