[December 01, 2011] |
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Greater Houston Health Information Exchange Announces 14-County, Non-Profit Collaborative for Secure Access to Health Information
HOUSTON --(Business Wire)--
The Greater Houston Health Information Exchange (GHHIE) today announced
the formation of its collaborative health information exchange network.
The non-profit GHHIE, founded by the Harris County Healthcare Alliance
and the Center for Houston's Future in mid-2010, will electronically
connect healthcare and wellness providers and clients to enable access
to patient records for true continuity of care. In April 2011, the GHHIE
embarked on a collaborative process for planning, designing, building
and operating a robust health information exchange in the Greater
Houston area.
The GHHIE has received significant support from major healthcare
providers in the region as well as from physicians and community
leaders. More than 60 hospitals and 70 percent of the area's hospital
bed capacity are represented by the major health systems. Through a
collaborative effort with the Harris County Medical Society, the GHHIE
has received letters of interest from more than 5,000 physicians. Many
of these providers participated in the planning effort to develop the
value-added services that will soon be offered to the community.
"We are excited to collaborate with the business leaders, healthcare
providers and the community representatives in the Greater Houston
area," said GHHIE President and CEO Kay Carr. "Regional health
information organizations represent true progress in creating healthier
communities by ensuring that the right information is available to the
righ healthcare provider at the right time." Carr, who has extensive
healthcare technology and financial leadership experience with the St.
Luke's Episcopal Health System and other academic healthcare
institutions across the United States, was named the GHHIE's President
and CEO in March 2011 and has been successful in solidifying community
and organizational support to bring this important health initiative to
realization.
"The GHHIE is a logical next step in the evolution of healthcare, and it
further solidifies Houston's role as a worldwide leader in primary
medical care, specialized services and scientific research," said GHHIE
Board Chair Gilbert A. Herrera. The GHHIE board of directors, led by
Herrera, encompasses a broad-based group of leaders in the Greater
Houston area. Herrera recently welcomed newly appointed board members
Dr. Marc Boom, The Methodist Hospital; Chris Born, Texas Children's
Health Plan; Paul Frison, Houston Technology Center; Ivo Nelson, Encore
Health Resources; and Dr. Lamar Pritchard, University of Houston College
of Pharmacy. They join an already dynamic group of board members with a
range of knowledge and experience in business, healthcare, and community
and patient advocacy.
About the Greater Houston Health Information
Exchange
The GHHIE is a neutral multi-stakeholder organization responsible for
enabling information exchange among healthcare providers in the Greater
Houston area which encompasses a 14-county region. It is tasked with
mobilizing healthcare information electronically across organizations to
enhance the safety, quality, and efficiency of care and improve
information access throughout the region. Key stakeholders include
healthcare providers, payers, employers and the community as a whole.
GHHIE Board Members
Gilbert A. Herrera, Herrera Partners (Chair)
Dr. Marc Boom, The Methodist Hospital • Chris Born, Texas Children's
Health Plan
George S. Conklin, CHRISTUS Health • Paul Frison, Houston Technology
Center
Roger Galatas, Roger Galatas Interests LLC • Dr. William S. Gilmer,
Harris County Medical Society
Dr. Bernard A. Harris, Vesalius Ventures • Michael K. Jhin, Community
representative
Harris L. "Shrub" Kempner, Jr., Kempner Capital Management Inc. • David
S. Lopez, Harris County Hospital District
Ruthanne Mefford, The Mefford Group, Child Advocates of Fort Bend County
Osama Mikhail, Ph.D., University of Texas Health Science Center • Ivo
Nelson, Encore Health Resources
Lamar Pritchard, Ph.D. University of Houston College of Pharmacy
Dr. Ben Raimer, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston • Dr.
Stephen J. Spann, Baylor College of Medicine
Dan Wilford, Community representative
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