COOS BAY — A new online service, called myCare, is allowing patients at Bay Area Hospital the opportunity to access portions of their health records online. The program “went live” on July 1.

Patients can go to the hospital website, bayareahospital.org, and click on the myCare logo to gain access to some of their records. They can view, manage, download and transmit certain medical records, such as lab and radiology results, immunizations and prescribed medications.

Brenda Curtner, the hospital’s clinical infomatics manager, says it is all about empowering patients and giving them ownership of their personal healthcare information. “For the first time ever, patients can look at their records whenever they want, with confidence that their records are secure.”

Part of that security includes making it an optional asset for patients. Each patient admitted to the hospital is invited to register for a secure myCare. Outpatients may choose to participate as well, and parents can sign up their minor children for myCare accounts. Bay Area Hospital provides each user a secure user name and password.

Physicians and other healthcare providers use a separate secure myCare portal for accessing their patients’ records.

Hospital officials say the program has been in development for months, and was built in cooperation with a national vendor that is creating similar online portals for hospitals nationwide.

Hospital admissions employees have also been trained to help guide patients through the signup process.

“It has gone very smoothly,” said Elizabeth Moss, admissions manager. “Not every patient wants to participate, and that’s OK. But a lot of patients are excited about having online access to their own medical information.”