Colorado Communities to Benefit From Expansion of Health Information Exchange

DENVER, Oct. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CORHIO, the Colorado Regional Health Information Organization, announced today that 12 new hospitals have been connected to the state's secure health information exchange (HIE) network.  The hospitals are all operated by Centura Health, and serve hundreds of thousands of patients in Metro Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Summit County and Canon City.

"Connecting Centura Health's electronic health record to CORHIO's health information exchange allows us to improve health care value through better coordination of care," said Dana Moore, Centura Health's senior vice president and chief information officer. "By linking physicians, clinics, hospitals, long-term care facilities, and home care services, we are ultimately touching more Coloradans and contributing collectively to sustaining the health of our state for generations to come."

"Centura Health has been one of the leaders in a longtime, statewide effort to implement secure, cost-effective health information exchange as a community benefit for all," explained Phyllis Albritton, CORHIO executive director. "Together we are improving health care for all Coloradans by making sure the right information is in the right place at the right time for good decision-making by health care providers and the patients they serve."

So far a total of 27 hospitals and close to 400 office-based physicians have committed to using the CORHIO HIE to improve care for their patients. New health care providers are signing up to participate in the CORHIO health information exchange every month and the most current list of participants is available at www.corhio.org/participating-providers.aspx.

The CORHIO HIE is a secure network that links physicians and other medical care providers throughout Colorado and provides access to patient information, including lab test and pathology results, x-ray, MRI and other imaging reports, and physician transcription reports. Later the network is scheduled to include patient medication lists, allergies and immunizations.

By participating in HIE, health care providers have more comprehensive patient information at their fingertips that is used to improve quality of care, eliminate costly, redundant testing and reduce treatment delays and hassles for patients related to paper medical records and reports.  In emergency situations, such as a heart attack or car accident, fast and easy access to information from the HIE can be life-saving.

About CORHIO

CORHIO is dedicated to improving health care quality for all Coloradans through health information exchange (HIE). As the state designated entity for HIE, CORHIO collaborates with health care stakeholders including physicians, hospitals, clinics, public health, long-term care, laboratories, health plans and patients to improve care collaboration through secure systems and processes for sharing clinical information. CO-REC, a CORHIO initiative, assists primary care providers in adopting, implementing and becoming meaningful users of electronic health record (EHR) systems. CORHIO is a not-for-profit supported in large part by grants, including awards from the Colorado Health Foundation and from federal ARRA HITECH funds.  CORHIO's technical infrastructure is built on industry-leading HIE technology developed and maintained by Medicity.  For more information about CORHIO, please visit www.corhio.org.

About Centura Health

Centura Health is Colorado's largest hospital and health care network and we are charting the course for the future of health care. Approximately 14,500 of the health care industry's best and brightest with more than 6,000 physician partners, deliver advanced care to more than half a million people each year, across 13 hospitals, seven senior living communities, medical clinics, affiliated partner hospitals, Flight For Life® Colorado, and home care and hospice services. Our strength lies in our ability to offer a team of connected networks and shared resources to deliver accessible, reliable and cost-effective health care across the state. For information on Centura Health or any of the facilities in our network, please visit www.centura.org.

SOURCE Colorado Regional Health Information Organization