North Hawaii Community Hospital (NHCH) has recently received a new contract from Hawaii Island Beacon Community (HIBC). Accordingly, NHCH will establish a health information exchange (HIE) across the North Hawaii. Installing the HIE system has started earlier this month, and it will take place throughout this year.
Nearly 32,000 patients are expected to benefit from the new HIE. Officials say that the new system is a step in the road to build a Hawaii-wide data sharing solution. Susan B. Hunt, project director and CEO of HIBC, said “We are pleased to support the groundbreaking initiatives of NHCH to help providers in the North Hawaii region adopt and benefit from the latest technology in healthcare,”
She continued “NHCH has pioneered the use of electronic health records by North Hawaii providers and helped to achieve a nearly 95 percent adoption rate – one of the highest for any community nationwide. The region is more than ready to take the next step, and both patients and providers will benefit from the streamlined operations that a secure HIE system makes possible,”
Wellogic, a company providing IT services, is cooperating with NHCH in its HIE project. Wllogic has carried out the technical basis needed for beginning of the installation process. The company will also provide technical training for NHCH staff. William Park, MD, chief medical officer and general surgeon at NHCH, commented on the new HIE project. He said “It’s an exciting breakthrough for healthcare in North Hawaii.”
He added “Our partnership with Wellogic has been very successful, and we have built up to a smooth launch. Through access to comprehensive, up-to-date patient information for providers and, eventually, patients themselves, care will be more efficient, more easily coordinated and more holistic.”
