Health Information Network in Southwest Ohio Will Be the Largest Exchange in the U.S.
DAYTON, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association (GDAHA) today announced its partnership with HealthBridge, a not-for-profit health information exchange located in Cincinnati, to establish health information exchange services for the Greater Dayton region. This partnership will create one of the nation’s largest secure health information networks connecting hospitals and physicians in Dayton and Cincinnati. Once the Dayton-Cincinnati health information exchange is complete, more than 50 hospitals and 7,500 physicians will be connected across Southwest, Ohio.
“Hospitals in the Dayton region have been innovators and leaders in the national movement to use electronic health information in our community,” said Bryan Bucklew, President and CEO of GDAHA. “They are now expanding their ability to share electronic information through secure channels with providers. These connections will improve the quality of care available to patients in our community.”
The use of cutting edge technology among hospitals in the Dayton region is a continuation of the collaboration on health information technology that began with the adoption of Epic, an electronic medical records system, by Premier Health Partners, the Kettering Health Network, and The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton.
Electronic medical records and the connection provided by the Dayton health information exchange will transmit a patient’s information through secure networks to improve the quality of care and reduce cost by eliminating duplicative services. A patient’s medical history will be readily available to doctors and nurses in the hospital or the physician’s office.
Too often physicians do not have the most current information from other providers when they see a patient. The ability of a patient’s health information to follow the patient electronically from hospital to doctor’s office to lab and back will result in better quality of care and lower costs.
“Technology and connectivity are fundamental to advancing the quality and efficiency of healthcare,” said Keith Hepp, Vice President of Business Development at HealthBridge. “We are delighted to work with GDAHA and the Dayton provider community to rapidly expand the ability to connect and share health information securely to improve patient care.”
Connectivity through HealthBridge will start with nine hospitals that are part of Premier Health Partners and the Kettering Health Network. By the end of 2011, 80 percent of GDAHA hospitals, CompuNet Clinical Labs, and Public Health – Dayton and Montgomery County will be connected to the Dayton health information exchange. 80 percent of area physicians will be connected by the end of 2012.
The importance of electronic medical records is underscored by GDAHA’s commitment to help the Dayton region’s provider community prepare for the “meaningful use” of health information technology. As part of the economic stimulus legislation passed in 2009, meaningful use means health care providers must demonstrate a wide set of electronic capabilities to qualify for thousands of dollars in incentive payments. GDAHA will work with physicians to ensure that they receive the financial and technical assistance to achieve the meaningful use of health information technology through the Greater Dayton Area Health Information Network Regional Extension Center.
“We’re very proud to be working with a pioneer in health information exchange like HealthBridge,” said Bryan Bucklew. “The proximity and patient movement between the Dayton and Cincinnati communities makes working with HealthBridge a natural fit for our provider community.”
About GDAHA
The Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association (GDAHA) is a member-service organization representing 23 hospitals and health systems in the Dayton region. GDAHA collaborates with its members to improve the delivery of healthcare services in Auglaize, Butler, Darke, Champaign, Clark, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, Shelby, and Warren Counties in West Central Ohio. GDAHA offers value-added services that help members improve operating efficiency and maintain quality standards.
About HealthBridge
Since its founding in 1997 as a non-profit community-based organization, HealthBridge has grown to become one of the largest, most advanced and financially successful health information exchange organizations in the United States. Each month roughly 3 million clinical lab tests, radiology reports, discharge summaries and other health information are transmitted electronically to more than 5,500 authorized physicians through HealthBridge’s secure technology network, more than nearly any other collaborative health information organization in the country. Dedicated to helping providers and communities achieve meaningful use of health information technology, HealthBridge also operates the Tri-State Regional Extension Center and the Collaborating Communities Network of health information exchange organizations. HealthBridge has been recognized in many publications for its innovative practices including the Wall Street Journal, eHealth Initiative, and HIMSS, just to name a few. For more information about HealthBridge, see www.healthbridge.org.
CONTACT:
Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association
Bryan Bucklew, 937-673-0615
[email protected]
OR
HealthBridge
Trudi Matthews, 513-247-5266
[email protected]
KEYWORDS: United States North America Indiana Kentucky Ohio
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Technology Data Management Internet Health Hospitals General Health
MEDIA: