Two more Indiana communities scheduled to become part of nationally- recognized network.
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (June 20, 2007) – The Indiana Health Information Exchange (IHIE) today announced that two new communities within Indiana are positioned to become part of its clinical messaging service network.
St. Elizabeth Medical Center and Home Hospital in Lafayette, along with St. Clare hospital in Crawfordsville are expected to begin using IHIE’s clinical messaging service within the next several months. These hospitals are members of the Sisters of St. Francis Health Services, Inc. system, one of the charter members of IHIE.
Clarian Arnett Health of Lafayette has also joined IHIE’s network. Arnett is affiliated with Clarian Health, which is also a charter member of IHIE.
“The expansion of our services into additional hospitals and adding more physicians to our network demonstrates that health care providers have found value in these services,” said Dr. J. Marc Overhage, President and CEO of the Indiana Health Information Exchange and Director of Medical Informatics at the Regenstrief Institute, Inc. “It provides better information to treat patients and it is allowing us to continue to enhance our service offerings to have an even greater impact on patient care throughout the state.”
The clinical messaging service, called the DOCS4DOCS® system, is a sophisticated, secure, Web-based service that delivers clinical reports such as transcription, radiology and laboratory to physician offices, replacing traditional delivery systems such as courier and postal mail. It was developed by the Regenstrief Institute and is run in conjunction with IHIE.
We are very pleased to join other hospitals from around the state in partnering with the Indiana Health Information Exchange,” said Terry Wilson, President and CEO of Home Hospital, St. Elizabeth Medical Center and St. Clare Medical Center. “This new clinical and confidential messaging system allows physicians to access and share patient information which will greatly enhance the speed of patient data sharing among physicians and medical staff to arrive at the best possible medical recommendations and outcomes.”
“Clarian Arnett Health sees this as a great opportunity to receive the clinical information we need to care for our patients. Because it is both timely and secure, we can provide high quality care when it is needed,” said Dr. Shannon Oates, Chair of Quality Improvement at Clarian Arnett Health. “This capability eliminates the delays of fax and mail. We are working closely with IHIE to be able to store the information from IHIE directly into our patients’ electronic medical records. This is beneficial for our patients and our staff. Our participation will also have a huge impact in the near future as we open a new state-of-the-art hospital in fall 2008. We will be able to send our hospital information electronically to providers, keeping them up to date and creating better care for patients throughout our entire region.”
The clinical messaging service is one of the nation’s most respected clinical messaging services; 25 hospitals in Indiana are sending on average, one million messages each month to approximately 5,000 Indiana physicians, saving millions of dollars per year by eliminating duplicate tests and administrative costs.
Other hospitals in the Sisters of St. Francis network expected to become part of the IHIE network in 2007 include St. Anthony Medical Center in Crown Point, St. Anthony Memorial Health Centers in Michigan City and Saint Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers in Dyer and Hammond, joining St. Francis Hospitals in Beech Grove, Indianapolis and Mooresville.
Other Clarian Health hospitals that are currently part of the IHIE network include Methodist Hospital, Indiana University Hospital, Riley Hospital for Children, Clarian North Medical Center and Clarian West Medical Center. Conversations are ongoing with representatives from other Clarian affiliates, including Bedford Regional Medical Center, Goshen Hospital and La Porte Regional Health System. When Clarian Arnett Hospital opens in 2008, it will also participate in the IHIE network.
In addition to Clarian Health and the Sisters of St. Francis, IHIE’s other charter hospitals and hospital systems are Community Health Network, St. Vincent and Wishard Health Services.
About the Indiana Health Information Exchange
Indiana Health Information Exchange, Inc. (IHIE) is a non-profit corporation formed by the Regenstrief Institute, private hospitals, local and state health departments, BioCrossroads and other prominent organizations in Indiana. It is dedicated to providing clinical data and quality standards to assist providers and other relevant parties in achieving the highest quality patient care. To learn more, visit www.ihie.com.
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