Breaking News!
Cal INDEX and Inland Empire HIE will merge to form California’s largest health information exchange; former White House technology advisor named CEO
Statewide nonprofit health information exchange will include more than 16 million health
information records and participation from 150 provider partners
SAN FRANCISCO (January 10, 2017) — The California Integrated Data Exchange (Cal INDEX) and Inland Empire Health Information Exchange (IEHIE) today announced a planned merger that will create one of the nation’s most comprehensive nonprofit health information exchanges (HIEs).
Claudia Williams, former White House technology senior advisor, will lead the new organization as CEO, effective February 1, 2017. The merger, subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2017 and will operate as a tax-exempt public benefit corporation under a new name.
The new HIE will combine the 11.7 million claims records from Cal INDEX founding members Blue Shield of California and Anthem Blue Cross with the 5 million clinical patient records of IEHIE and its 150 participating partners. HIEs help improve the quality of the patient experience, support collaboration and coordination and improve efficiencies by making it easier for doctors, hospitals and other care providers to securely review, analyze and share medical information across the healthcare system.
“The creation of this new statewide health information exchange by IEHIE and Cal INDEX is an important milestone in transforming California’s healthcare system into a coordinated system that delivers higher quality and more efficient care to all Californians,” said Dr. Bradley Gilbert, Chairman of the IEHIE Board of Directors. Mark Savage, Chairman of the Cal INDEX Board of Directors and director of health information technology policy and programs for the National Partnership for Women & Families, added: “Claudia is the ideal candidate to lead this new entity. She is a strategic and transformational leader with national experience managing and scaling health information exchanges. With Claudia, California’s statewide HIE gets the rare combination of breadth and depth.”
Williams brings more than 25 years of healthcare technology experience to the role, most recently as senior advisor for Health Innovation and Technology in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Prior to the White House, Williams was the Director of HIE for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. She earned an M.S. in health policy and management from the Harvard School of Public Health and a B.A. in political science from Duke University.
“Claudia’s track record of developing strategic partnerships with technology, provider, consumer and health plan leaders will be invaluable as Cal INDEX and Inland Empire HIE add new partners and bring value to providers and patients throughout the state,” said Dr. Gilbert.
“I’m thrilled by the opportunity to lead the new organization and collaborate with our partners to improve patient care for all Californians,” Williams said. “Our goal is to deliver compelling products and services that support California’s hospitals, providers and patients in their efforts to improve care coordination, reduce inefficiencies, address gaps in care and enhance patient experience.”
St. Joseph Hoag Health Joins the California Integrated Data Exchange
Largest provider of healthcare in Orange County to participate in statewide health information exchange
San Francisco (December 13, 2016) —The California Integrated Data Exchange (Cal INDEX) today announced that it has joined with St. Joseph Hoag Health, the largest health care provider in Orange County, to deliver a single statewide health information exchange (HIE) that allows payers and providers throughout California to seamlessly and securely access patient health information to improve care delivery.
With Cal INDEX’s next-generation health information exchange (HIE), data is securely shared at the point of care, allowing physicians to quickly understand the patient’s health history, better coordinate care and avoid duplicate test orders as well as adverse drug interactions. Currently, more than nine million health information records — nearly one quarter of the state’s population — are on Cal INDEX and, with the addition of St. Joseph Hoag Health, over a million more people will be connected.
“St. Joseph Hoag Health’s participation in Cal INDEX will enhance the quality of care received by patients,” said Gerald Peters, general counsel and interim CEO of Cal INDEX. “Our health information exchange is built on a platform that can expand to handle vast amounts of clinical and claims data as additional organizations join Cal INDEX. Hospitals, physicians and patients all benefit from our service because the information is delivered securely to authorized users in real-time – speeding the ability of providers to better help patients.”
“While the current state of health care is mostly focused around the providers of care — doctors, nurses, hospitals — we must be equally focused on the consumer,” said Richard Afable, MD, MPH, president and CEO of St. Joseph Hoag Health in Irvine, Calif. “St. Joseph Hoag Health is at the forefront of developing an integrated model that brings together all participants in health care, building alignment and accountability, and bettering the patient experience. By participating in Cal INDEX, we can break down long-standing barriers and foster collaboration so that care can be more effectively coordinated, clinical outcomes can be improved and patient safety can be ensured.”