Industry Insight

Two Health Systems Join Georgia Health Information Network

Emory Healthcare and Grady Health System have joined Georgia’s Department of Public Health and the state’s Medicaid program in connecting to the Georgia Health Information Network (GaHIN), the statewide health information exchange network that electronically connects Georgia hospitals, physicians, and clinicians to safely and securely exchange patient health information. Connecting to GaHIN allows Emory and Grady to augment continuity of care by enhancing patient care coordination among its authorized providers and affiliates and improving access to a patient’s information for diagnosis and treatment.

GaHIN’s ConnectedCare technology allows its members to access a more complete view of their patients’ health information directly from their EHR systems. This minimizes manual and often time-consuming processes. Patients also benefit, as GaHIN helps gather information from multiple sources and provide this information to the caregiver at the time of service.

Providers at Emory and Grady can improve both direct care delivery and coordination by having ever-present access to clinical information, such as Medicaid health and pharmacy information and immunization updates and reporting from the Georgia Registry of Immunization Transactions and Services.

With GaHIN, providers will be able to take advantage of existing and future services, including lab routing, admission, discharge, and transfer alerts, as well as future interoperability through a nationwide health information exchange.

— Sources: Georgia Health Information Network and Georgia Department of Community Health

 

Henry Ford Health System Joins Michigan HIE

Southeast Michigan’s largest health care provider, Henry Ford Health System, is the newest member of the state’s largest health information exchange (HIE), Michigan Health Connect.

The arrangement means Henry Ford’s physicians and other medical professionals can securely share patient records with other designated providers. The electronic system especially is helpful to ensure comprehensive care for patients being transferred to another facility, such as a rehabilitation center.

— Source: Michigan Health Connect

 

Chopra, Tullman Join Box as Health Care Advisors

Box has brought on Aneesh Chopra, former US chief technology officer, and Glen Tullman, former Allscripts CEO, to serve as special advisors for the company’s health care and life sciences practice. As advisors, Chopra and Tullman will help Box deepen its expertise in the health care industry and support the growing number of hospitals, health insurance firms, and medical and pharmaceutical companies on its platform.

Box moved into health care with initial platform partners and HIPAA compliance in April 2013. Its health care customers use Box to manage and secure critical information, coordinate care, and streamline research and hospital protocols in the cloud.

Chopra spent many years at The Advisory Board Company, a global and research consulting firm for hospitals, before moving into politics. He served as the first US chief technology and brings policy knowledge on HIT and government sponsored interoperability initiatives. Chopra currently is the cofounder of Hunch Analytics, a data analytics startup.

Tullman is an early pioneer of the HIT industry, having built Allscripts, a global EHR provider. He now is managing partner of 7Wire Ventures and is focused on companies that promote his firm’s vision of the intelligent connected health consumer, providing consumers with information and tools to allow for more engagement and better health and health care decisions.

— Source: Box