PacificSource Community Solutions and the Central Oregon Health Council (COHC) announced the approval of a $2 million proposal from the Central Oregon Health Information Exchange (COHIE), bringing health information exchange (HIE) services to providers in the region in cooperation with Reliance eHealth Collaborative. Reliance’s HIE platform will enable community stakeholders of all types to interact and securely share information with each other electronically and to better coordinate care.
Through Reliance, providers can now securely share and access critical patient information that helps them better care for the patients they have in common, eliminating the need for patients to have to recall their health history at each new visit.
“In an effort to continue a culture of wellness, we must equip our citizens with the resources available to them in a much more concerted way and Reliance will effectively serve that purpose,” said Donna Mills, COHC’s executive director. “The ability of the care team to share care summaries with the individuals providing services will prove to be invaluable.”
With Reliance’s Community Health Record capabilities–and health information provided by primary care doctors, hospitals, specialists, county services and social services–Central Oregon’s health care providers are able to take a more complete approach to caring for patients. The platform’s integrated community health record and eReferrals tool will also give providers a more comprehensive picture of their patient’s health, while getting patients into care faster and streamlining their experience.
“We are pleased to be part of a significant, collaborative effort to enable pathways to improved health in the Central Oregon region through the implementation of this groundbreaking information exchange,” said Dan Stevens, PacificSource’s executive vice president. “Improving population health and enhancing the patient’s ability to have a seamless care experience are critical parts of our mission. The real-time exchange of health information across providers and care settings greatly enhances success toward achievement of those goals.”
Reliance’s clinical notifications inform providers and care managers when a patient may be at risk for illness or hospitalization due to a health emergency. In an emergency, Reliance can “speak” for patients who cannot speak for themselves. Reliance Insight, an analytics tool, also helps providers monitor and improve the value they provide to patients through safer, more complete care resulting in a healthier community.
PacificSource Community Solutions and the COHC lead the PacificSource Central Oregon Coordinated Care Organization (CCO), which partners with major health care providers in Central Oregon to serve more than 55,000 members enrolled through Oregon’s Medicaid program, also known as the Oregon Health Plan (OHP). The CCO is held to Quality Incentive Metrics (QIMs) that OHP ties incentive dollars to during the course of the contract year. Those funds must be utilized for community projects such as the HIE and serve to enhance and improve the health and well-being of the Medicaid population within the three counties they serve: Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson.
Central Oregon Health Information Exchange (COHIE):
The Central Oregon Health Information Exchange is a 501(c) (3) formed in 2010 with a goal of improving the health of our community through the secure exchange of health information. The COHIE board consists of provider and technologist representatives from St. Charles, Bend Memorial Clinic, Mosaic Medical, Crook County Health & Human Services, Advantage Dental, Central Oregon Independent Practice Association, High Lakes Health Care, Central Oregon Health Council, OCHIN and PacificSource.
Central Oregon Health Council (COHC):
The Central Oregon Health Council consists of health care, county, and other community members from Central Oregon who work together with PacificSource Community Solutions to lead the CCO. The Central Oregon Health Council works in partnership with PacificSource to develop strategies and policies to serve the needs of CCO members in the region.
PacificSource Community Solutions:
PacificSource Community Solutions, Inc. serves Medicaid members through its coordinated care organizations in Central Oregon and the Columbia Gorge. It is part of the PacificSource family of companies, which has a 77-year history and reputation for taking great care of people. PacificSource employs more than 900 people and serves more than 300,000 members with individual, employer, Medicare, and Medicaid plans throughout the Northwest.
Reliance eHealth Collaborative:
Reliance eHealth Collaborative (formally known as Jefferson Health Information Exchange (JHIE)) is a community-based and provider-led non-profit organization that facilitates patient-centered care by providing secure and trusted information sharing among hospitals, physicians, clinics, behavioral health providers, dentists and Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs). Reliance was formed in 2012 to help health care providers electronically communicate with one another to better care for their patients. The HIE began in Southern Oregon and has grown rapidly into the Columbia Gorge and Central Oregon regions and is enrolling providers in the Portland tri-county region. Now serving over 1,000 providers in 21 counties in Oregon and Northern California, Reliance has connected over 230 practices and clinics with multiple different EHRs for robust interoperability. www.RelianceHIE.org
