Merger Creates One Of The Nation's Largest HIEs
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
Merger in Michigan creates one of the largest HIEs in the nation, one that will serve more than five million people.
Michigan Health Connect and Great Lakes Health Information Exchange have merged to form one of the nation’s largest providers of health information exchange.
Called Great Lakes Health Connect, the combined HIE allows hospitals, physicians, and other medical professionals to quickly and securely share the health records of more than five million people, according to a recent press release.
"The merger of these two leading organizations means Great Lakes Health Connect can provide unparalleled access to electronic health records for participants in Michigan and beyond," said Doug Dietzman, executive director of the new organization and former executive director of Michigan Health Connect.
The new HIE will cover more than 80 percent of the hospital beds in the state and include more than 20,000 independent and employed providers serving over half the state's 10 million people, more than any HIE in the state and more than most in the country.
"Michigan Health Connect and the Great Lakes Health Information Exchange recognized that our missions were essentially the same and that we could better achieve our vision for a healthier Michigan together, rather than independently," said Brian McCardel, M.D., orthopedic surgeon and chairman of the Great Lakes Health Information Exchange Board of Directors.
Great Lakes Health Connect also enables hospitals and physicians to access a patient’s health history across many different providers, including lab facilities, allowing ready access to vital information and eliminating the need to rely on patient memory. In addition, it provides real-time notification to providers for admissions and discharges from hospitals to nursing homes and other providers, to make sure complete patient information is transferred and the risk of readmission is lowered.
The exchange of electronic health records is also key to the success of hospitals and other medical providers under national health care reform.
Patrick O'Hare, chairman of the Michigan Health Connect Board of Directors, added, "We look forward to advancing an integrated platform of services across the state and making Michigan a leader in the nationwide move to health information exchange and improved health status."
Michigan Health Connect and Great Lakes Health Information Exchange in January announced a Letter of Intent to pursue a merger. Their boards voted to approve the merger in May and the merger was finalized July 1.