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Maine to launch statewide HIE in 2008

EHR Connection, February 4, 2008

Physicians, hospital leaders, and public health officials in Maine announced that construction of the nonprofit HealthInfoNet network would begin this year, making the state one of the first in the nation to build and operate a statewide electronic health information exchange (HIE), according to the organization's January 16 press release.

More than 2,000 healthcare providers, including 15 rural and urban hospitals, and one-third of Maine's practicing physicians will participate in a 24-month demonstration of the new HIE, according to the press release. Pilot participants account for more than half of Maine's annual inpatient admissions and nearly 40% of the state's annual outpatient visits.

After the demonstration phase, HealthInfoNet will expand to include other providers who care for Maine's 13 million residents.

Pilot participants include the following organizations:

  • Central Maine Health Care
  • Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems
  • MaineGeneral Medical Centers
  • MaineHealth
  • Martin's Point Health Care
  • Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington
  • Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Public opinion research in 2006 revealed concern about the prospect of medical errors and a shared belief that better coordination and communication among providers is necessary to improve the quality and safety of healthcare, the press release says. Maine residents say they want increased access to their own medical records that will enable them to verify the accuracy of information in the records and to become more engaged in their own care.

HealthInfoNet is a statewide independent nonprofit organization established in 2006, after a feasibility study and planning and development process found strong support for a new HIE, according to the press release. The organization's board of directors includes physicians, hospital leaders, consumers, employers, government officials, and insurance executives.

Click here to read the HealthInfoNet press release.

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