Regional providers put aside business differences for the betterment of patient care
MORRISTOWN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Northern and Central New Jersey Health Information Exchange (HIE) Collaborative, officially incorporated February 1 under the name “Jersey Health Connect,” today announced it is one of four HIEs in the state recently awarded economic stimulus grant funds from the $11.4 million that New Jersey Health Care Facilities Financing Authority received from the Department of Health and Human Services. The funds will help the collaboration of competing providers— hospital systems and physician organizations serving 6 million people in 10 counties (2008 statistics)—to support rapid stakeholder expansion and adoption of current data exchange efforts regionally and state-wide. New Jersey’s Office of e-HIT administers the grants disbursed through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
“Each Jersey Health Connect provider member was able to put aside competitive business differences to come together for the betterment of community care,” said Linda Reed, a Board Trustee of Jersey Health Connect and Vice President, Information Systems and Chief Information Officer, Atlantic Health. “Members will leverage their combined expertise to improve care coordination, access, outcomes and efficiencies through the use of technologies that facilitate real-time clinical data exchange. They recognize that patients benefit most from a multidisciplinary approach in which electronic access to aggregated health information is available when and where it is needed on a local, regional, and, ultimately, national level.”
Jersey Health Connect is comprised of over 25 healthcare facilities and two large physician practice groups:
Hospitals & Health Systems
- Atlantic Health (3 facilities)
- Hackensack University Medical Center
- Hunterdon Healthcare (20 facilities)
- Newton Memorial Hospital
- Robert Wood Johnson Health System (3 facilities)
- Saint Barnabas Health Care System (7 facilities)
- Saint Clare’s Health Services (4 facilities)
- Saint Peter’s Healthcare System
- Solaris Health System (2 facilities)
- Somerset Medical Center
- Trinitas Regional Medical Center
Physician Practice Groups
- Summit Medical Group
- VISTA Health System, IPA
Together they already connect 700 physicians, two participating hospital systems, more than 385,000 patient records, and more than 25,000 local residents actively communicating with their physicians in large and small practices across the region. Participating pharmacies and laboratories transmit and exchange more than 10,000 electronic prescriptions and 45,000 clinical documents and lab test results each month.
Jersey Health Connect providers can maintain individual HIE strategic initiatives within their community, as well as use grant funds to reduce expenses for connecting to exchange data with other members. The Collaboration selected RelayHealth’s connectivity network as the platform for clinical record sharing because it doesn’t require a complex infrastructure or the associated costs of infrastructure maintenance. Additionally, RelayHealth allows HIE members to share patient information without sharing competitively sensitive information. Patient records are available only on a need-to-know basis if a patient has given access permission.
The goals of health information exchange are to reduce medical errors and redundant care; empower consumers to become more active, informed participants in their care; expand the adoption and meaningful use of electronic medical records; and ensure confidentiality, privacy and security.
“RelayHealth is honored to support Jersey Health Connect in creating a sustainable HIE,” said Jim Bodenbender, President, RelayHealth Connectivity Solutions. “We are committed to creating a connected healthcare system in America to help improve care and efficiency.”
RelayHealth’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) network also helps position Jersey Health Connect members for Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) inclusion and meets interoperable system requirements spanning acute care and ambulatory settings.
About RelayHealth
RelayHealth, McKesson’s connectivity business, operates as a neutral partner in an open network environment, offering connectivity services and integration among all organizations, systems, and solutions. Its intelligent network is designed to streamline clinical, financial and administrative communication between patients, providers, payors, pharmacies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and financial institutions. RelayHealth works to accelerate the delivery of high-quality care and improve financial performance through solutions such as online consultation of physicians by patients, electronic prescribing, point-of-service pharmacy claims resolution by payors, pre-visit patient financial clearance by providers, and post-visit provider bill settlement by payors and patients. RelayHealth securely processes more than 12.8 billion financial and clinical transactions annually. For more information, call (800) 778-6711, or visit our Web site at www.RelayHealth.com.
CONTACT:
RelayHealth
Lynne Durham, 678-662-1683
[email protected]
or
Atlantic Health
Jacque Brodt-Suggs, ISS Director
Jersey Health Connect, Communications Chair
[email protected]
KEYWORDS: United States North America Georgia New Jersey
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Technology Software Health Hospitals
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