ATLANTA, GA - Georgia Health Information Network (GaHIN), the statewide health information exchange (HIE) for Georgia, awarded a total of $1 million to its members to accelerate technology adoption and the electronic exchange of health information. The program successfully helped Georgia's eligible providers and hospitals connect to the HIE so they can securely access and share patient information at the point of care.
GaHIN’s Intermediary Grant Program is designed to increase the adoption and use of the HIE. Intermediaries are hospital-based and regional HIEs that have direct technical interoperable connections to GaHIN. The program was funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, with the Georgia Department of Community Health passing the funds through to GaHIN to develop and execute the program.
GaHIN members receiving awards included Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Grady Health System, HealtheConnection, Georgia Health Connect and Georgia Regional Academic Community Health Information Exchange (GRAChIE).
“GaHIN’s mission is to improve the quality of care and care outcomes while reducing costs, and we do that by ensuring providers have the patient information they need at the point of care,” said Denise Hines, Executive Director of GaHIN. “The Intermediary Grant Program helped us to provide a high level of support to practices and hospitals to allow them to access and exchange health information, bringing value to them and the patients they serve.”
GaHIN’s members include regional HIEs, hospital systems, physician groups and individual practitioners. GaHIN’s products, which are available at no cost to qualified healthcare professionals, include:
- GeorgiaDirect – gives providers a personalized email address that allows them to securely transmit patient health information to other authorized healthcare professionals; and
- Georgia ConnectedCare – an innovative technology solution that enables providers to securely access a patient’s complete health record through their electronic health record (EHR) system.
About Georgia Health Information Network
Georgia Health Information Network (GaHIN) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a healthier Georgia by facilitating the use and secure exchange of electronic health information so providers have the information they need at the point of care. The result is improved quality of care, better health outcomes and reductions in cost. GaHIN’s two products, GeorgiaDirect (powered by Medicity) and Georgia ConnectedCare (powered by Truven Health Analytics) connect providers statewide and nationally and are free for credentialed, authorized Georgia users. www.gahin.org
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GaHIN media contact: Lynn Hood, lhood@gahin.org