The South Florida Regional Extension Center – the lead organization assisting physicians in the adoption of electronic medical records – is also playing a key role in developing the South Florida Health Information Exchange, an electronic system that will connect hospitals, physicians, clinics and health care professionals in a secure communications network. A health information exchange (HIE) operates similar to a search engine. A health care provider treating a patient can enter the patient’s name into the electronic health record software and the health information exchange will locate the patient’s stored medical records on another provider’s electronic health record system – but only if the other provider is connected to the network. Unlike the internet search engine, the HIE operates over a secure, virtual private network to keep all records safe.
The South Florida Regional Extension Center (SFREC) has initiated a Health Information Exchange Workgroup to bring regional health care leaders together and reach a consensus on the best way to integrate their facilities and practices into the South Florida Health Information Exchange. Health care stakeholders, such as hospitals, clinics and physician groups, have shown a strong interest in supporting the HIE. The most important areas of concern involve the security of the health care records and providing coordinated care among all the physicians a patient sees.
“Providers throughout our region understand the powerful benefits of an HIE,” said Lisa Rawlins, Executive Director of the South Florida Regional Extension Center. “It will have an immediate impact, improving the quality and efficiency of care physicians can deliver to patients.”
She added that the South Florida Regional Extension Center is working to ensure privacy and connectivity concerns are met, issues that the Health Information Exchange Workgroup are addressing. By working with local health care leaders, the South Florida Regional Extension Center hopes to plan, build and operate a community-based health information exchange that will make medical records available to physicians across a secure, efficient communication network.
Experienced HIT professionals at the non-profit South Florida REC provide free, vendor-neutral electronic health record consultation to health care providers from Key West to Vero Beach. “We provide guidance to our members at every step of the adoption process,” Rawlins said. “Especially now during the critical attestation period, we help members who are prepared to meet the criteria of attestation and receive their incentive payments.”
Rawlins added that even if providers already have a certified EHR system, they are encouraged to join the SFREC to receive assistance with meeting the attestation criteria, and the ultimate goal, to achieve meaningful use of the technology. An example of meaningful use is that medical providers must regularly send, receive and confirm a percentage of their prescription medication orders and lab tests through their EHR system. Eligible health care providers can receive incentive payments of up to $64,500 for Medicaid providers and $44,000 for Medicare during the next five years.
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