CHICAGO – Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions is teaming up with a broad-based coalition of Connecticut healthcare providers and employers to launch a statewide health information exchange.
Transforming Healthcare in Connecticut Communities (THICC) - a collection of hospitals, physician practices, employer groups and insurers - is seen as the first step in forming the “physician office of the future” by creating an HIE that will link electronic health records. A number of its members are subsidizing the cost of implementing Allscripts’ EHR and encouraging physicians to subscribe to Allscripts’ free, Web-based electronic prescribing solution, Allscripts announced Monday.
“THICC will help address the decentralized and fragmented nature of our healthcare delivery system and contribute to improved quality and better safety for patients across Connecticut,” said Stephan O’Neill, vice president of information services at Hartford Health Care, the non-profit parent organization of Hartford Hospital. “With the passage of the stimulus law and the availability of incentives for physicians to adopt electronic health records, it’s clear that a tipping point has been reached and the time has come for us to provide the linking bridge between all of the applications used by healthcare providers.”
The THICC includes 20 hospitals, several health centers and a number of physician organizations and group practices and is seeking to add more members. While other EHR systems will be linked to the network, coalition members ProHealth Physicians, Hartford HealthCare, Saint Francis Care, the Connecticut MultiSpecialty Group, the Connecticut Surgical Group, HealthWise physicians and the Hospitals of Central Connecticut all use Chicago-based Allscripts’ EHR.
“We consider Allscripts to be the best electronic health record to meet THICC’s goals,” said O’Neill. “When we began developing this program, Allscripts very quickly popped to the top of the list because of the positive experience of our affiliated groups. And when we reviewed competitive offerings with physicians in our community there was unanimity that Allscripts was the way to go.”
THICC hospital executives will develop an initial set of benchmarks to measure members’ performance on quality of care. This will enable them to spot problem areas and make improvements, officials said.
Beginning in 2010, Hartford Health Care and ProHealth Physicians will offer Allscripts Practice Management as their own practice management system to THICC members. Physicians will be encouraged to implement the billing, scheduling and revenue cycle management solution to better connect their back-office functions with the Electronic Health Record.
THICC also includes plans for a Personal Health Record so that patients can participate directly in their own care.
Several coalition members hailed the HIE as an important step forward for the state.
“THICC will be a significant aid to Connecticut physicians and the communities they serve. Our ability to provide the best care to our patients depends on the ease of access to important information held by other organizations involved in a patient’s care,” said Bruce Campbell, MD, chief information officer at ProHealth Physicians, the largest primary care medical group in the state.
Elliot Joseph, Hartford Health Care’s CEO, said, “Hartford Health Care, our hospitals and physicians, are steadfastly committed to excellence in healthcare delivery and the essential role of information technology to improve the delivery system. We actively support the development of a statewide HIE approach to serve our community.”
“The potential to improve patient care and safety by providing access to vital, integrated clinical information is an imperative for our industry,” added Christopher Dadlez, CEO of Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center, “Improvements are expected in operational efficiencies, and the ability to measure and manage the quality of care, which will allow us to reduce costs and participate in research opportunities. And our patients will be the direct and immediate beneficiaries.”
“THICC is bridging the information gap and taking a critical step in fulfilling the vision of a connected national healthcare system that enables physicians to improve the quality of patient care, reduce unnecessary procedures and therefore lower costs,” said Allscripts CEO Glen Tullman. “We expect healthcare organizations in regions across America will shortly follow their lead.”
Misys Open Source Solutions is providing an open source-based software solution so that participating community providers can view and exchange critical healthcare.
“Transforming Healthcare in Connecticut Communities is truly visionary in its embracing of open source technologies and standards, which we believe will become the model for the United States in Health Information Exchange creation,” said Bob Barthelmes, executive vice president and general manager of Misys Open Source Solutions. “We are very pleased to be partnering with Allscripts and THICC on this industry changing initiative.”
