Arizona Health-e Connection (@AzHeC) and Health Information Network of Arizona (HINAz) have completed a merger and are now one operational and legal entity as of January 1, 2016. This merger culminates a collaborative two-year process that began when the Boards of AzHeC and HINAz voted to formally affiliate and combine operations in February 2014.
“AzHeC and HINAz have enjoyed a history of close cooperation and collaboration since HINAz was formed in 2010, said Melissa Kotrys, CEO of AzHeC. “This final step allows us to focus on one statewide organization to meet the health information technology and health information exchange needs of Arizona providers and insurers and their patients and beneficiaries.”
With the merger, the oversight and direction of The Network, Arizona’s statewide health information exchange, will be provided by the Health Information Network Leadership Council (simply referred to as the Network Leadership Council or NLC), a standing advisory council to the AzHeC Board. The NLC is comprised of Arizona’s leading health care executives and leaders, with representation from hospitals, health plans, providers and other key health care stakeholders. More information on the NLC is available here.
The merger takes place at a time of rapid growth and expansion of Network participation as well as Network information. Network participation has nearly doubled since August 2015 due to the elimination of provider participation fees as of October 1, 2015. The Network now contains clinical information on 5.1 million patients, processing more than 71 million transactions annually. (See Network by the Numbers)
Arizona Health-e Connection (AzHeC)
Arizona Health-e Connection is a non-profit, public-private partnership that drives the adoption of health information technology (HIT) and advances the secure and private sharing of electronic health information exchange (HIE). Through statewide education, coordination and collaboration, AzHeC promotes the innovative use of HIT and HIE to achieve the Triple Aim of better care, better outcomes and lower costs.
AzHeC operates The Network, Arizona’s non-profit statewide HIE that enables improvements in care coordination and quality by electronically linking health care organizations through a single connection, filling gaps in patient information across the state. The Network serves as a community data trustee and a network of networks that allows participants to save time and resources and create a more comprehensive patient record, providing the right information at the right time and place.