craignetworkCraig Hospital, headquartered in Englewood, Colo, will now be participating in the Colorado Regional Health Information Organization (CORHIO) secure health information exchange (HIE) network, according to a recent news release. The release notes that the HIE connection is intended to benefit patients who are being transferred from other participating Colorado acute care hospitals to Craig. The aim is to allow patients to experience smooth transitions and have lower risk of complications, as the details of the electronic medical records will immediately follow them during their change of facilities.

The release reports that CORHIO HIE is a highly protected electronic network that links the medical record systems of hospitals, doctors, and other health care providers throughout Colorado. The HIE is designed to allow providers to exchange vital patient information such as lab test and pathology results; x-ray, MRI, and other imaging reports; and physician transcription reports regarding the patient’s care.

The CORHIO HIE is also designed to accommodate patients with brain or spinal cord injury post-hospitalization during their transition to a specialty care facility like Craig. It ensures that clinical information is recorded in the patient’s electronic health record securely and more completely transferred to Craig Hospital.

Thomas E. Balazy, MD, medical director, Craig Hospital, articulates the facility’s excitement in being part of the network. “When a patient comes to Craig Hospital for medical and rehabilitation care of spinal cord and/or acquired brain injury, frequently from an acute care center in Colorado, we will be able to quickly and accurately retrieve records from the referring physician and hospital. Labs and imaging reports will be instantly available, allowing us to devise the best treatment plan in a timely manner, without the delay of waiting for records or test results,” Balazy says.

Larry Wolk, MD, chief executive officer of CORHIO, echoes Balazy’s sentiment. “We are honored to have Craig Hospital join the CORHIO health information exchange. We are pleased to be providing them with technology that helps make their world-class specialty care even more exceptional.”

The release states that throughout the state of Colorado, 29 hospitals, more than 900 office-based providers, 79 long-term and post-acute care facilities, six behavioral health centers, and two large medical laboratories are connected to the CORHIO HIE.

[Source(s): Craig Hospital, CORHIO]