CORHIO Names Larry Wolk, M.D., Chief Executive Officer

DENVER, August 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

CORHIO, the Colorado Regional Health Information Organization, announced today that it has selected Larry Wolk, M.D., an experienced health care leader, to be its chief executive officer (CEO). CORHIO is the state designated health information exchange (HIE) and has connected to its network 23 hospitals, 73 office-based providers, 18 long-term and post-acute care facilities and a large, regional clinical laboratory. CORHIO is also in the process of expanding its network of health care providers and is actively working to connect six more hospitals, over 900 office-based providers, five behavioral health centers and four long-term and post-acute care facilities that are under agreement.

In addition to being recognized as one of Colorado's most respected physicians, Dr. Wolk is a successful entrepreneur and has 15 years of leadership experience in various aspects of health care. He is the founder and executive director of the Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics, a position he has held as a volunteer for nearly 20 years. The organization is one of the largest safety-net clinics in Colorado, providing more than 50,000 patients visits each year at over 40 clinic sites.

Dr. Wolk is also currently a clinical professor in the department of pediatrics with the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and recently served nearly five years as president and chief operating officer at Correctional Healthcare Companies, which provides services to corrections agencies in 27 states and employs more than 2,500 staff.  Dr. Wolk has also served as the senior medical director of both Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Colorado and Prudential Healthcare of Colorado, and served in a regional and national role as senior health care executive at CIGNA HealthCare. He was also the medical director of ambulatory pediatrics and adolescent medicine at Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center for five years.

Over the last two decades, Dr. Wolk has received many honors, including Colorado Pediatrician of the Year, National Philanthropy Day Volunteer of the Year, Denver Business Journal Healthcare Executive of the Year, a "Channel 7 Everyday Hero," and he is a recipient of the University of Vermont's Award for Service to Medicine and Community. Most recently, Dr. Wolk received the Lifetime Healthcare Achievement Award from the Mile High Chapter of the American Red Cross and the Outstanding Clinical Faculty Community Service Award from the University of Colorado. Dr. Wolk also served as an officer on the board of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless and the Rocky Mountain Center for Health Promotion and Education.

"Dr. Wolk is not just a respected physician who has worked tirelessly to ensure individuals get access to high-quality health care, he is also an entrepreneur with a deep understanding of why health information exchanges like CORHIO are critical to improving the quality of care that is delivered," said CORHIO Board Chair James Shmerling, president and chief executive officer of Children's Hospital Colorado.

With his unique and varied expertise in the health care field, Dr. Wolk will help to accelerate the adoption of HIE among providers in Colorado and will ensure that CORHIO stays true to its mission of improving health care for all Coloradans.

"Working for CORHIO presents an exciting opportunity for me, advocating for and implementing health information exchange for health care providers and patients alike.  I look forward to the day when CORHIO includes every health care entity in the state and gives the opportunity to every Colorado citizen to experience better health."

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.

SOURCE CORHIO