DENVER, April 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CORHIO, the Colorado Regional Health Information Organization, announced today that seven hospitals, nine medical practices and four community mental health centers have signed agreements to electronically exchange health information on shared patients through its secure network.

Through use of CORHIO's network, physicians and other medical care providers will have access to important health information about their patients, including lab test and pathology results, x-ray, MRI and other imaging reports and physician transcription reports. Later this year, the network will be upgraded to include patient medication lists, allergies and immunizations as well as lab and imaging orders. The data available to medical professionals about each patient in the network will grow each time they visit their physician and additional information is recorded electronically.

"This electronic exchange of patient information will improve care by efficiently delivering the right information at the right time to the right care providers," said Jim Shmerling, CORHIO board chair and chief executive officer at The Children's Hospital. "We welcome any opportunity to improve access to care for all Coloradans. Many of us have seen first-hand the importance of a streamlined health information exchange and how it improves the patient experience. This is the right step forward in creating meaningful healthcare reform."

The hospitals that have signed agreements with CORHIO include Boulder Community Hospital, Boulder Community Foothills Hospital, The Children's Hospital, Longmont United Hospital, Memorial Health System's two hospitals in Colorado Springs and Parkview Medical Center in Pueblo. Physician practices that signed agreements include Alpine Urology, Colorado Springs Health Partners, Comprehensive Family Care Center, Gastroenterology of the Rockies, Dr. Daniel Jinich, Miramont Family Medicine, Pikes Peak Nephrology, Skin Care Now and Spruce Street Internal Medicine. Four southern Colorado mental health centers that also signed with CORHIO include San Luis Valley Community Mental Health Center, Southeast Mental Health Services, Spanish Peaks Mental Health Center and West Central Mental Health Center.

Boulder Community Hospital was the first to connect to the health information exchange network. Because it was the first to connect, the hospital will begin exchanging data with other hospitals and physician practices when those entities "go live" on CORHIO's Health Information Exchange network, projected to occur in early summer.

"Boulder Community Hospital is very excited to be the first hospital in Colorado to begin sending patient data to CORHIO," said Dr. Valerie Lipetz, chief medical officer for the hospital's affiliated physician clinics. "We will soon be joined by hospitals and physicians around the state who are working cooperatively to provide Colorado citizens with safer and more cost-effective patient care through our statewide Health Information Exchange."

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 develop 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 by grants, including awards from the Colorado Health Foundation and from federal ARRA HITECH funds. For more information about CORHIO, please visit www.corhio.org.

SOURCE CORHIO