Statewide HIE Expands to Include Health Plans: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan becomes Qualified Data Sharing Organization with Michigan Health Information Network (MiHIN)

EAST LANSING, Mich., March 26, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) is now a part of Michigan's electronic sharing of health information through the Michigan Health Information Network Shared Services (MiHIN).  MiHIN Executive Director Tim Pletcher said, "BCBSM's leadership as the first health plan to become a qualified data sharing organization (QO) demonstrates their commitment to improving the quality of care for their members.  BCBSM is helping pioneer the next phase of health information exchange in Michigan.  With the inclusion of health plans in Michigan's statewide network, the opportunities for better care coordination rapidly accelerate."

By entering into MiHIN's legal umbrella for secure and private electronic Health Information Exchange (HIE), BCBSM joins a dynamic group of organizations already participating in electronic health information exchange with MiHIN including the State of Michigan's Department of Community Health (MDCH), the South East Michigan Beacon Community and all six sub-state health information exchanges in Michigan which are already Qualified Data Sharing organizations (QO's):

Great Lakes Health Information Exchange (GLHIE), based in East Lansing;
Ingenium, based in Bingham Farms;
Jackson Community Medical Records (JCMR), based in Jackson; 
Michigan Health Connect (MHC), based in Grand Rapids;
Southeast Michigan Health Information Exchange (SEMHIE), based in Ann Arbor;
Upper Peninsula Health Information Exchange (UPHIE), based in Marquette

Robert Milewski, Senior Vice President at BCBSM and member of MiHIN's Board of Directors observed, "Connecting at the top network level as a MiHIN qualified organization for sharing data is a natural reflection of the role BCBSM plays in helping keep Michigan healthier. Ensuring that providers have the information they need at the point of care and proactively preventing problems before they happen is essential for good care coordination. Officially joining the MiHIN data sharing community is a big step in Michigan becoming a connected-for-health state."

Regarding the first health plan participating in the MiHIN legal and data sharing framework, MiHIN's Chairman of the Board, Larry Wagenknecht said, "BCBSM's entrance into data sharing via MiHIN amplifies MiHIN's accelerating pace of accomplishments.  For electronic health information sharing to become commonplace, we need all involved parties to participate under a common and transparent set of legal expectations. By joining MiHIN's network, BCBSM is helping attain that goal leading by example for other Michigan health plans."

About Michigan Health Information Network Shared Services (MiHIN)

The Michigan Health Information Network (MiHIN) is Michigan's initiative to improve health care quality, efficiency, and patient safety through the sharing of electronic health information, while reducing costs. MiHIN is the official state designated entity for health information exchange across Michigan and the future integration with the eHealth Exchange. MiHIN is a Michigan nonprofit entity, functioning as a public and private collaboration between the State of Michigan, sub-state Health Information Exchanges, payers, providers, and patients. For more information please visit www.mihin.org.

About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more company information, visit bcbsm.com.

SOURCE Michigan Health Information Network