HI-BRIDGE HIE Joins eHealth Exchange to Promote Data Interoperability
July 6, 2023
ATLANTA, July 6, 2023 — HI-BRIDGE HIE, a leading health information exchange (HIE) organization based at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA, has joined the eHealth Exchange network to facilitate coordination of care through the nationwide exchange of patient clinical data.
“We are excited to partner with eHealth Exchange and provide connections to their extensive patient medical data sharing network,” said Carmen Hughes, MBA, Executive Director, HI-BRIDGE HIE. “With the help of eHealth Exchange, HI-BRIDGE HIE will continue to foster innovative data exchange solutions to our members as this aligns with our mission to advance health equity through technology.”
HI-BRIDGE HIE is a regional electronic health information exchange that allows healthcare providers and patients to appropriately access and securely share patients’ vital medical information electronically — improving the speed, quality, safety, and cost of patient care. Healthcare providers must have a complete picture of a patient’s medical history to make well-informed clinical decisions. HI-BRIDGE HIE aims to promote the interoperability of EHRs, improve health outcomes in communities and eliminate healthcare disparities throughout Georgia and this nation.
“This strategic partnership with the national exchange will enable HI-BRIDGE HIE to expand interoperability and HIE services to support the needs of clinical providers by streamlining the access to vital patient information at the point of care,” said Dominic H. Mack, M.D., MBA, Executive Medical Director, HI-BRIDGE HIE.
HI-BRIDGE is pleased to announce joining eHealth Exchange because it is the country’s largest nationwide health data-sharing network — connecting federal agencies and non-federal healthcare organizations to exchange more than 12 billion patient records annually. Expanding the network to include HI-BRIDGE HIE is vital to improving patient care and public health nationwide. Allowing easy and reliable access to a vast network of 75% of U.S. hospitals, 64 regional and state health information exchanges (HIEs), five federal agencies, and other participating healthcare organizations will support interoperable coordination of patient care everywhere.
“The eHealth Exchange is committed to improving the patient experience and health outcomes for all Americans,” said Jay Nakashima, executive director for eHealth Exchange. “We’re thrilled to have HI-BRIDGE HIE become the latest state health information exchange to join our expanding nationwide network, bringing the promise of health IT interoperability to more providers and patients than ever before.”
About HI-BRIDGE HIE: Established in 2014, HI-BRIDGE HIE is a mission-based Regional Health Information Exchange (formerly Georgia HealthConnect) created to provide interoperability through integrated technology and clinical support services to meet the needs of smaller practices, hospitals, and health systems for the electronic exchange of patient clinical information. HI-BRIDGE HIE is a member of Georgia’s state HIE, Georgia Health Information Network (GaHIN), through which bi-directional data exchange enables users to have access to statewide and nationwide patient clinical record data at the point of patient care. HI-BRIDGE HIE is based out of the National Center for Primary Care at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA. Learn more at hibridgehie.org.
About eHealth Exchange: The eHealth Exchange, a 501(c)3 non-profit, is among the oldest and largest health information networks in America and is most well-known as the principal way the federal government shares data between agencies and with the private sector. The eHealth Exchange, a network of networks, is the only network connecting healthcare providers to five federal agencies, 64 regional or state HIEs, 75 percent of all U.S. hospitals, and 85 percent of dialysis clinics running on more than 30 electronic health records (EHR) platforms. National interoperability is facilitated by one common trust agreement and a single set of APIs. Five federal agencies (Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), Department of Defense (DoD), Indian Health Service (IHS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Social Security Administration (SSA)) participate in the network to share patient information with private-sector healthcare partners as well as other agencies. The eHealth Exchange supports the secure exchange of more than 12 billion patient record transactions annually. The eHealth Exchange is a candidate Qualified Health Information Network (QHIN) under the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT’s (ONC’s) Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA). Learn more at ehealthexchange.org.