COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho, June 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- North Idaho Health Network and MobileMD, Inc., Yardley, Pa., announced today an agreement to provide state-of-the-art Health Information Exchange services to the medical community throughout Idaho's five northern counties. North Idaho Health Network will use MobileMD's turnkey technology and services to establish a regional Health Information Exchange and Data Repository providing connectivity and interoperability between Benewah Community Hospital, Bonner General Hospital, Boundary Community Hospital, Kootenai Medical Center, Shoshone Medical Center, and its 305 physician members.
The agreement utilizes MobileMD's 4D HIE™ technology to improve patient care by empowering North Idaho Health Network member physicians and hospitals to electronically and securely connect and communicate health information about their patients rapidly, and provides even greater data exchange between various points of care. Through the regional Health Information Exchange physician and hospital members will be able to access and share vital patient health information (PHI) including lab and imaging results, orders, continuity of care documents, medication lists and other pertinent patient health information.
"The ability to provide secure, electronic interoperability with our physician community, sharing critical patient health information in real time, will not only reduce costs, but, more importantly, will improve the physician-patient relationship and patient outcomes, ultimately improving the health and wellbeing of our community," said Donald Chisholm, M.D., president of North Idaho Health Network.
For physician practices currently using an electronic health record (EHR) system, MobileMD will integrate PHI directly into these disparate EHRs used across the medical community. For physician practices that have not yet implemented EHR technology or are on the path to implementing an EHR, MobileMD will provide their 4D Clinical Portal™ to serve as an easy to use, web-enabled, highly secure, communications and sharing platform designed to facilitate access to critical PHI, regardless of location or system of PHI origination.
"No longer will we have to rely on manual or cumbersome means to furnish clinicians with information they need when they need it – no more faxing, mailing or phone calls to get relevant patient information. The HIE will improve safety within our health system and enable us to expand this exchange to include regional HIE currently being developed for eastern Washington or the Idaho Health Data Exchange as opportunities present themselves in the future," said Michael Dixon, M.D., North Idaho Health Network Medical Director.
"North Idaho Health Network has chosen to become a leader in their community in the electronic exchange of critical patient health information," commented MobileMD EVP Jeff Fisher. "NIHN's belief that hospitals and health care providers must work together to achieve high quality, cost-effective, evidence-based care aligns perfectly with MobileMD's high-touch full-service approach that ensures rapid participation and information sharing via the HIE. NIHN's decision to deploy a community-based exchange for their provider network is forward thinking and positions them well for the future as outcomes-based healthcare delivery models evolve. We are very pleased and honored NIHN has chosen us as a partner in its mission."
About North Idaho Health Network
The North Idaho Health Network (NIHN) is the trusted, local health resource. NIHN is a network of health care providers in Idaho's five northern counties designed to meet the health care needs of individuals and businesses. NIHN emphasizes quality based on outcomes, recognizing that cost savings in health care result from efficient delivery of care designed to achieve the best possible results.
For more information please visit www.nihn.net
About MobileMD, Inc.
MobileMD offers the HIT industry's only 4D HIE™, focusing on all aspects of progressive healthcare delivery: 100% service, technology, economics, and care. We use a secure, scalable and flexible infrastructure to provide technologies and applications designed to integrate patient health information with disparate HIT systems and application software designed to provide access, communications, and interoperability capabilities, bringing the healthcare community together in support of enhanced patient care. MobileMD supports more than 20,000 users; 5,500 subscribers; 1,000 physician practices; and 100 hospitals.
For more information about MobileMD visit http://www.MobileMD.com and for current information about the HIE industry, visit our blog, HIEWorks http://blog.hieworks.com.
SOURCE MobileMD, Inc.