FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Bonnie Caprara
Jan. 16, 2009
(586) 899-5718
bcaprara@changescapeinc.com
SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN HEALTHCARE LEADERS MEET TO EXPLORE TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES
FOR HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE
About 45 healthcare leaders from Southwest
Michigan and the State of
Michigan
met Thursday, 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."
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.
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 contact
info@changescapeinc.com.
A strategic leadership conference
designed to explore HIE development is
planned for late February.
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.
Additional information on
the
Southwest Michigan Health Information
Exchange is available at
www.mihealthelink.org.
ChangeScape, founded
in 1995,
provides business solutions and
strategic, policy making and capital
acquisition consulting for healthcare
systems. For more information on
ChangeScape, visit
www.changescapeinc.com.
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