MHC Partners With Five Healthcare Organizations To Be Leaders In Statewide Health Information Network

BJC HealthCare, Burrell Behavioral Health, Mercy, Nevada Medical Clinic, and SSM HealthCare are the first to participate in Missouri's groundbreaking electronic medical information network

Signaling a transformation in the way physicians and hospitals are enabled by technology to improve care, MHC announced recently that five leading hospitals and healthcare providers are the first to participate in the state’s pioneering health information network.

BJC HealthCare, one of the largest nonprofit healthcare organizations in the U.S.; Mercy, with 31 acute care hospitals and 1,700 integrated physicians in the Midwest; and SSM Health Care, with 17 hospitals and the first healthcare winner of the Malcolm Baldrige Award, provide almost 40% of inpatient care in Missouri. These organizations, along with Burrell Behavioral Health, a provider of behavioral health services since 1977, and Nevada Medical Clinic, a rural multi-specialty clinic, support thousands of physicians and caregivers in providing healthcare to Missourians. 

The MHC network provides secure methods to share electronic patient records, referrals, discharge summaries and other clinical documents.  While many healthcare systems can communicate within their own walls, joining the MHC network allows doctors to electronically communicate health-related information across all hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare providers.

“Missouri Health Connection is delighted to welcome these forward-thinking healthcare providers to the MHC network. MHC will empower physicians to provide care, whenever and wherever it’s needed, armed with secure, real-time patient information,” said Mary Kasal, president and CEO of Missouri Health Connection.

“We are pleased to see the positive response from so many healthcare organizations that are becoming active participants in the MHC pilot project,” said Kim Day, incoming MHC Board Chair and Regional President of Mercy Central Communities. “We look forward to the day when the entire state is connected through a secure and portable network for healthcare services that enhances patient care.” 

The MHC health information network is powered by InterSystems HealthShare , a strategic healthcare informatics platform for information exchange and analytics within a hospital network, and across a community, region or nation. InterSystems is a global leader in health information software for connected care, with a track record of success in developing and supporting health information networks in other states and countries. InterSystems was recently named a leader in health information exchange platforms by IDC, an independent industry research firm.

About Missouri Health Connection
Missouri Health Connection is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization governed by a board of directors including members from state government, private healthcare organizations, private practice physicians, professional organizations, and consumer advocacy groups. MHC's statewide network will improve healthcare quality and save lives by improving the coordination of care and promoting informed decision-making by providers, as well as by giving patients more complete and accurate information about their own healthcare.