HASTINGS, Neb., July 29 -- Gov. Dave Heineman, R-Neb., issued the following press release:
Gov. Dave Heineman today congratulated Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital leaders on being the first hospital to join the Nebraska Health Information Initiative (NeHII) after the health information exchange began accepting membership last July.
'I applaud Mary Lanning on being the first hospital outside Omaha to go live on the NeHII exchange.' Gov. Dave Heineman said. 'They are setting an example for the rest of the state.
This effort is a perfect example of how technology can provide better efficiency and accessibility, and improve safety and security. Thanks to the Nebraska Health Information Initiative, Nebraska is a leader in building a platform for medical information to be secure, portable and transferrable. I look forward to NeHII's continued growth and success.'
Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital (MLMH) went live on the NeHII exchange on Jan. 26. The hospital launched a public education campaign in anticipation of joining NeHII as a way to help patients and their families understand the benefits of having their records be accessible through secure, electronic medical information exchange.
Through July 1, MLMH registered 27,500 patients with just 74 patients opting not to allow their records to be accessed on the NeHII exchange. The opt-out rate for all NeHII members is two percent. With an opt-out rate of less than three tenths of one percent, Mary Lanning's marketing and public outreach efforts were an essential in component the successful launch as part of the NeHII exchange.
Dr. Robert Anderson, MLMH's Chairman of the Board of Trustees, said, 'We believe in the NeHII's value to both patients and health care providers. It allows an exchange of information among various providers and reduces the number, or possible duplication, of medical tests by clearly defining what has been done for a patient and outlining the results of previous tests. Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital is pleased to be part of this important network.'
NeHII connects the electronic medical records of several Nebraska hospitals and physicians allowing doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals to access patient data quickly. Security NeHII is HIPAA compliant and one of the nation's most comprehensive health information exchanges. After several years of development involving public and private partners, NeHII launched as a statewide exchange in July 2009.
NeHII leaders announced today that Omaha's Creighton University Medical Center is planning to join NeHII this fall. The network will also expand to allow pharmacies and other medical specialists to become members of the exchange, including: dentists, chiropractors, physicians' assistants, podiatrists, and optometrists.
NeHII President Dr. Harris Frankel, said, 'This is a very exciting time for Nebraska. NeHII is exceptionally pleased with the progress that's been made and we are especially proud of the vision and foresight Mary Lanning had in becoming the first community hospital to join the exchange. Health information exchanges put the patient at the center of health care by giving providers access to critical information needed to provide quality care. It's not just about moving from paper-based records to electronic records, but creating way for information to move in a secure way that helps the medical community provide faster, better patient care. This is the new lifeblood of patient care. We appreciate the support the state has provided in developing this statewide exchange.'
Records for more than 1.6 million patients are part of the NeHII exchange through participating hospitals including: Alegent Health, Children's Hospital and Medical Center, Methodist Health System, and The Nebraska Medical Center, all of Omaha, as well as Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte, and MLMH in Hastings.
The system has processed more than 95 percent of all information requests in less than two seconds and includes more than 12 million lab and radiology reports.
The NeHII exchange was developed with the support of nearly 20 hospitals across the state, as well as physicians, pharmacies, health insurers, and medical organizations. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com
