New Check-In System Coming to Essentia Health Clinic Locations

DULUTH, Minnesota. — Essentia Health is rolling out a new check-in system at all of its clinic locations with electronic kiosks and other mobile options to assist patients in the process.

“Healthcare is a technology driven, innovative industry. We’re always looking for those updates, and those technologies that can make the patient experience better,” said Essentia Health Community Relations Director Tonya Loken.

The new system at Essentia, however, is seeing some opposition from healthcare workers in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

A Facebook post by United Steelworkers Local 9460 states in part, “We have been frustrated with Essentia’s failure to properly notify us, communicate details and hear our concerns. As a result, so far we have filed two class action grievances, a request for information and a board charge with the national labor relations board.”

The union says they are currently working on an agreement with the company regarding the workers displaced by these machines, and what options will be available to patients.

Essentia says the union has been a part of this project since it started and that no one is losing their job, but could be moved to a new position.

“We have had very low impact,” Essentia’s Loken went on to say, “as far as the number of staff impacted by this update, but for those that have been impacted we’ve worked very closely with them to transition to other roles in Essentia Health.”

The new check-in system will include three choices; kiosk is one of them, and the others are by iPad or MyChart.

“The most important thing to know is that there will still be a person there to help people check-in regardless of the option their choosing,” Loken emphasized.

Essentia says the new system will save patients and workers time by reducing lines and speeding up the check-in process.