Nine of Western Pennsylvania's leading healthcare providers announced Thursday that they plan to form the region's first health information exchange (HIE).
The collaboration, formally known as ClinicalConnect, comprises Altoona Regional Health System, Armstrong County Memorial Hospital, Butler Health System, Excela Health, Heritage Valley Health System, Jefferson Regional Medical Center, St. Clair Hospital, The Washington Hospital and UPMC.
The HIE, expected to be one of the largest and most active of its kind in the state, will be implemented over the next two years, starting with a pilot at Heritage Valley, the group said.
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"The mission of provider-based ClinicalConnect is simply to improve care for our patients by providing the right information at the right time, regardless of where patients choose to be treated," said Norman Mitry, president and CEO of Heritage Valley.
ClinicalConnect's intention is to expand its membership to other western Pennsylvania hospitals and health systems in the near future, Mitry said. Over time, it will connect with state and federal exchanges that are being developed to improve the coordination of patient care.
Dan Drawbaugh said the founding partners of the new HIE have worked together for nearly two years to plan the sustainable network for securely sharing health information.
"Leveraging the technology investments made by all of our partners, we will go above and beyond federal requirements for 'meaningful use' of electronic medical records," Drawbaugh said. "Our goal is to provide the kind of patient-centered, accountable care envisioned under health care reform and to create a model that can be replicated nationwide."
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According to the ClinicalConnect providers, the HIE will be funded by all of the partners, and will allow clinicians to have quick access to key patient information, including allergies, medications, lab results, past hospitalizations and other information that might affect clinical decisions.
Improved coordination of care among providers is expected to reduce unnecessary testing, delays and costs; increase the use of preventive care and chronic illness management programs, and assist efforts to track and improve public health, according to the group.