The Children's Care Alliance is working with health information solutions provider Alere Accountable Care Solutions to create a health information exchange for underserved children in the Lehigh Valley, Pa. The HIE--a collaboration between healthcare organizations and the education community--is being touted as the first of its kind. The technology will allow for exchange of student electronic health records between different hospital emergency rooms, clinics, physician offices and school districts in the Lehigh Valley, and will be branded the "Virtual Health Village."
"Many children living in this area suffer from chronic conditions including asthma and obesity. The healthcare systems and community organizations need to rally together," Mike Cirba, CIO for Allentown, Pa.-based Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network and current CCA Chairperson, said in an announcement."The problem is that care delivery is disconnected. Individual health records are scattered among multiple access points of care. And, unfortunately, vital clinical information is often not available to the local physicians, health systems and the school health rooms that see these kids." Announcement