Skip to main content
  • Patient Portal
  • Pay Bill
  • Request Appointment
MCHS_Logo_2024_BLACK
    • Services

      Featured Services

      • Cardiology (Heart)
      • Gastroenterology & Hepatology (Digestive Care)
      • Neurosurgery
      • Obstetrics & Gynecology (OB-GYN)
      • Oncology (Cancer)
      • Orthopedics & Orthopedic Surgery (Bones)
      • Primary Care
      • Spine Care
      • Sports Medicine
      • Surgery
      • Urology

      View all services
    • Providers
    • Locations

      Minnesota

      • Albert Lea
      • Austin
      • Belle Plaine
      • Blooming Prairie
      • Butterfield
      • Caledonia
      • Cannon Falls
      • Fairmont
      • Faribault
      • Lake City
      • Lake Crystal
      • Mankato
      • Montgomery
      • New Prague
      • Northfield
      • Owatonna
      • Plainview
      • Red Wing
      • Sherburn
      • St. James
      • St. Peter
      • Waseca
      • Waterville
      • Wells
      • Zumbrota

      Wisconsin

      • Arcadia
      • Barron
      • Bloomer
      • Chetek
      • Chippewa Falls
      • Eau Claire
      • Ellsworth
      • Glenwood City
      • Holmen
      • La Crosse
      • Menomonie
      • Mondovi
      • Onalaska
      • Osseo
      • Prairie du Chien
      • Rice Lake
      • Sparta
      • Tomah

      View map
    • Classes/Events
    • Blog
    • Wellness
    • Referrals

    Recent Posts

    • Two people working
      Speaking of Health
      Maintaining healthy relationships with age
      May 15, 2025
    • Charlie Pierce
      Patient Stories
      The sound of success: How improved hearing aids career change
      May 01, 2025
    • Produce aisle shopping
      Speaking of Health
      Want to reduce chronic inflammation? Start with your grocery list
      April 24, 2025
    Featured Topics
    • Behavioral Health
    • Cancer
    • Children's Health (Pediatrics)
    • Exercise and Fitness
    • Heart Health
    • Men's Health
    • Neurosurgery
    • Obstetrics and Gynecology
    • Orthopedic Health
    • Weight-loss (Bariatric) Surgery
    • Women's Health
    Join our email newsletter
    Patient Stories
    Thursday, August 27, 2015

    Your portal to better health

    Topics in this Post
    • Patient Portal

    Staying involved in your healthcare is important. Mayo Clinic Health System's patient portal is a free, secure and convenient online resource that connects you to your healthcare team and helps you manage your health from the comfort of your home.

    Your account provides you with easy access to important healthcare information and is easy to set up. In addition, you can use it to access Mayo Clinic Express Care Online to get quick care for common conditions without leaving home or visit your provider through a video appointment.

    A patient's story

    POS_SP15_BrianRichQuote

    Brian Rich is one patient who discovered a way to stay healthier using the patient portal. The Cannon Falls, Minnesota, resident uses it to stay in touch with his primary care provider, Evie Christensen, a nurse practitioner in Family Medicine.

    "Whenever I have questions or symptoms, I send Evie a note through the portal," says Brian, who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. "I take spirometer readings every day to check my lung capacity. If things start to go south, I get in touch with Evie right away."

    Brian's health has improved since he started using the free service.

    "The patient portal has allowed us to be more proactive than ever regarding Brian's lungs. When his lungs are not doing well, he needs medical attention quickly or it could be life-threatening," says Evie. "The portal has allowed us to be in contact sooner, and if there's a problem, decide if he should see me at the clinic, or go to the Emergency Department or hospital for care. He also has an emergency plan that he can initiate at home. When he's going to start the plan, he sends me a note through the portal so I can call and check in on him."

    Brian says he'd rather use the patient portal than the telephone to connect.

    "There's no phone tag," he says. "And the portal gives me a record of what we talk about. I know it has saved me trips to the clinic."

    Evie, who uses the portal to manage her own healthcare, appreciates the benefits as both a patient and a provider.

    "The portal gives me fast access to my patients, and also fast access to my own health records and results," she says. "You can communicate and feel more connected with your care team, on your time."

    That's a benefit Brian appreciates, too.

    "I like that it's there 24/7," he says. "Sometimes a question or issue pops up in the middle of the night. I can just send Evie a note while I'm thinking of it and know she'll respond as soon as she can."

    Brian encourages all patients to use the patient portal.

    "I can't understand why you wouldn't want to try it," he says. "There are so many benefits, and I can't think of a single negative."

    Learn more about the patient portal:

    • Learn how to set up and manage your portal account.
    • Log in to the patient portal.
    • Get 6 tips for making the most of your healthcare video appointment.
    Topics in this Post
    • Patient Portal

    Related Posts

    Patient health care video appointment 6 tips for making the most of your healthcare video appointment
    POS_SP15_DavidSnippen_sm Patient portal helps Bloomer man stay connected
    JoAnn Osterhus Patient finds online scheduling 'easy peasy'
    Mayo Clinic Health System
    About Us
    Careers
    Volunteer
    Donate
    Contact Us
    Patient Care
    Patients & Visitors
    Classes & Events
    Mayo Clinic Connect
    Mayo Clinic
    Resources
    For Medical Professionals
    Community Resources
    Financial Assistance
    Price Transparency
    Press Room
    Compliance
    Notice of Nondiscrimination
    Notice of Privacy Practices
    No Surprises Act
    Terms of Use
    Manage Cookie
    Privacy Policy
    © 2018 - 2025 Mayo Clinic Health System