As the first step toward state-to-state information exchange, CORHIO and the New Mexico Health Information Collaborative (NMHIC) have established connectivity
With the technical connection between New Mexico and Colorado health information exchanges (HIEs) in place, providers in both states can share clinical patient information across state lines. This is particularly important in the Four Corners region where it’s common for patients to live in one state and work in a neighboring state. This means patients are frequently crossing state lines for healthcare. The lack of state-to-state information exchange can cause poor care coordination and provider communication.
“I am thrilled that CORHIO (@CORHIO) and NMHIC have connected and entered into a trust relationship to enable data exchange,” says Morgan Honea CEO of CORHIO. “This type of data exchange erases state lines and ensures important medical information is accessible to providers who see patients from multiple states. We look forward to continuing this partnership to enable full data exchange in the future.”
“We are excited about the ability to exchange data and coordinate care with CORHIO and its participating providers. This has been a high priority for our participants,” says Dr. Thomas East, CEO/CIO, New Mexico Health Information Collaborative. “NMHIC is committed to health information exchange and care coordination across state lines, nationally and with sovereign tribal nations in our area.”
HISP to HISP Connectivity
CORHIO and NMHIC are both Health Information Service Providers (HISPs) and members of a trusted framework through Direct Trust, so the technical connection to complete this project is “HISP to HISP.” Both CORHIO and the NMHIC HISP (Orion Health) must follow strict standards in handling health information using the Direct messaging protocols.
In addition, both organizations also participate in the national ehealth exchange and are members of the Mid-States Consortium of Health Information Organizations, a large group of HIEs dedicated to enabling data exchange across regional and state lines.
Connection Enables Direct Messaging
Because both organizations can facilitate the exchange of clinical data via Direct messaging, providers on either network can exchange secure messages, similar to email, to communicate about patients. This direct provider-to-provider communication is HIPAA-compliant and is a simple way to exchange health information across state borders.
Other Successful Connections
CORHIO is dedicated to expanding HIE across geographic areas to improve patient care and has connected to several organizations. In July of last year, CORHIO and the Kansas Health Information Network (KHIN) connected the two HIEs so community providers could access clinical data from St. Catherine Hospital via the CORHIO network. CORHIO has also completed technical connections to Quality Health Network, Colorado’s western slope HIE, with Surescripts, a large national electronic prescription network, and with Cerner, an electronic health record company.
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