WASHINGTON – The District of Columbia Primary Care Association will use Microsoft Amalga to enable the sharing of data among local hospitals and six community-based health centers that are part of a newly formed District of Columbia Regional Health Information Organization.

The DC RHIO will connect six health centers - representing 21 locations - and two hospitals, Georgetown University Hospital and Washington Hospital Center, with the purpose of improving both the quality and accessibility of healthcare for vulnerable members of society. The six health centers are Bread for the City, Family and Medical Counseling Service, La Clinica del Pueblo, Mary's Center for Maternal and Child Care, So Others Might Eat, and the Whitman-Walker Clinic.

"Information technology in healthcare has the ability to transform our current health segments into a true healthcare system that serves the needs of all consumers and brings timely information to appropriate providers caring for consumers as patients," said Garth Graham, deputy assistant secretary for Minority Health, Department of Health and Human Services. "During this time, when we are just beginning to develop the interoperable networks, it is crucial that today's medically underserved communities are included in these efforts."

Implementing Amalga will give physicians at Georgetown University Hospital and Washington Hospital Center real-time viewing of up-to-date patient information stored in systems of the RHIO-affiliated health centers. This capability will allow DCPCA to help achieve its overall goals for the RHIO, DCPCA officials said, including improving chronic disease management, quality monitoring and research ability; minimizing duplicative work; reducing costs; evaluating critical health indicators on an ongoing basis; and giving patients security-enhanced online access to their health information.

"The sharing of medical information among D.C. health centers and local hospitals is uncommon," said Sharon Baskerville, CEO of DCPCA. "Using Amalga to aggregate and share clinical data, we will break down the barriers, enabling these providers to improve clinical decision-making, minimize redundant work, reduce costs, and most important, provide higher-quality care to the neediest in our communities. We expect to create a sustainable business model in the RHIO marketplace."