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Tuesday,
January 20, 2009
Southwest
Michigan
Health Information Exchange
Meeting a Success
KALAMAZOO - About 45
healthcare leaders from
Southwest Michigan and the State
of Michigan met Jan. 8 to explore technology
opportunities for a planned
Southwest Michigan Health
Information Exchange.
Five IT
equipment and service providers
-- Axolotl, Covisint,
eClinicalWorks, GE Healthcare
and Medicity - showcased
technology capable of linking
healthcare providers throughout
Berrien, Branch, Cass, Calhoun,
Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Van
Buren counties.
"We wanted
to provide this opportunity for
the region's healthcare leaders
to explore the options that are
available to handle the needs
and challenges of sharing
essential patient information
securely, quickly and
accurately," said Mindy
Richards, CEO of ChangeScape, a
Birmingham, Mich.-based
healthcare management advisory
firm that is coordinating the
planning phase of the Southwest
Michigan Health Information
Exchange. "Each company's
offerings offered unique
approaches creating a large,
complex and highly sensitive
technology infrastructure."
The
Southwest Michigan Health
Information Exchange is one of
nine regional health information
exchanges (HIEs) proposed for
the state by the Michigan
Department of Community Health.
Battle Creek Health System,
Borgess Healthcare, Bronson
Health Care Group, Lakeland
Health Care, Oaklawn Hospital
have been actively involved in
the planning phase of the HIE.
Healthcare
leaders in attendance critiqued
the technology offerings. Their
observations and comments will
be considered in selecting an IT
provider by a peer-based
technical work group.
A strategic
leadership conference designed
to explore HIE development is
planned for late February.
The
Southwest Michigan Health
Information Exchange is
soliciting volunteers to serve
on the technical work group as
well as clinical, legal,
financial and governance work
groups. Those interested in
participating are encouraged to
email Info@ChangEscapeInc.com
Additional
information on the Southwest
Michigan Health Information
Exchange is available at
MIHealthELink.Org
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