Getty Images
AK Health Information Exchange Consortium Boosts Interoperability
To better serve patients and providers with enhanced interoperability, HealtheConnect has united with a state-wide health information exchange consortium of four other HIEs.
HealtheConnect Alaska, the state’s non-profit statewide health information exchange (HIE), announced that it has joined a collaboration of HIEs to better support patients and healthcare providers through improved interoperability.
The Alaskan-owned and -operated organization will join CRISP Shared Services, an organization that serves four other HIEs.
“Our new partner shares the same or similar technology, making it easy for the organization to join forces with these other powerhouse HIEs,” Nicole Licht, healtheConnect’s communications & engagement manager, said in a press release.
“While the decision to affiliate has benefits in terms of serving Alaskans, it will also make healtheConnect more competitive for this RFP process and other opportunities in the future,” Licht wrote.
During the pandemic, the HIE has provided improved interoperability between the state and Alaskan providers who had previously depended on faxing records to report COVID-19-related data.
The Alaska Department of Health and Human Services shared with the HIE that it will likely be put out for RFP next year due to state requirements.
“We are making significant strides since and the move to affiliate with other cutting-edge HIE organizations is part of the vision to further the many innovations and successes,” healtheConnect concluded. “As an Alaskan-owned and operated entity that is a neutral intermediary to ensure providers have timely and accurate data to better serve their patients, this affiliation ensures the focus remains on serving Alaskan providers and patients.”
In December, the HIE announced the integration of an EHR platform to boost population health management in rural Alaska.
The collaboration with Collective Medical aims to increase patient data flow and enhance care coordination.
“With multiple healthcare crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and an alarming trend of increased overdoses and substance use disorder, coordination in healthcare is more crucial than ever,” said Laura Young, executive director of healtheConnect Alaska, said in a statement at the time of the announcement.
“By collaborating, Collective and healtheConnect Alaska can support care teams across all points of care with real-time insights and access to deep clinical data so that they can make the most informed care decisions possible,” Young continued.