Attention Healthcare Professionals:

Why are you receiving this email? 
You’re receiving this email because time is running out to meet the state mandate to connect with Connie, Connecticut’s Health Information Exchange (HIE). According to Connecticut State Statute, all healthcare providers are required to connect with Connie by May 3rd, 2023.
 
Who, or what, is Connie? 
Connie is the designated Health Information Exchange for Connecticut. A Health Information Exchange is an organization that has the tools, technology, and services that allows healthcare professionals and patients to securely share and appropriately access a patient’s medical information electronically.  
 
What is the state mandate?  
The Connecticut legislature intended Connie to empower consumers to make effective health care decisions. The mandate in the enabling legislation requires that all healthcare providers contribute data to Connie so that we can provide a complete patient medical record across all healthcare provider settings. By providing that complete medical record, Connie can meet all of the goals the legislature outlined including promoting patient-centered care, improving the quality, safety, and value of health care, reducing waste and duplication, and helping the state make progress towards its public health goals. 

To review the mandate and full statutory requirement for Connecticut providers, please see C.G.S.A § 17b-59e. 
 
Who needs to meet the state mandate? 
Any individual, corporation, facility, or institution licensed by the state to provide health care services is subject to the mandate and should apply as soon as possible to begin the process of connecting to and participating with Connie. 
How long will it take to get connected? 
Connecting with Connie means sharing your patients’ demographic and clinical data. Organizations with an electronic medical record (EMR) system will connect with Connie via the EMR, while those without an EMR can meet the mandate by making sure they have a Direct email address (we can help you do that too). 
 
The amount of time it takes to complete your connection to Connie varies based on your EMR, your technical integration capabilities, and when you get in the queue. The process may be faster if your organization’s EMR is already connected. You can start the process today on our website, but please don’t delay! Your first step is to fill out a Commitment to Connect form, which affirms your organization’s good faith commitment to starting the onboarding process. 


Are there any benefits to my organization by connecting with Connie? 
Yes, there are many benefits to connecting with Connie! It’s our mission to work with all mandated healthcare organizations to begin the connection process by May 3, 2023 so your practice and patients can use the many services offered through Connie, including: 
Connie Portal, a standalone, secure clinical query portal that allows you to view your patient’s clinical records including prior hospitalizations, encounters, labs, radiology results, and images. You can also use the Connie Portal to see all the members of your patient’s care team. For certain EMRs, the InContext app can be embedded within your patient chart and give you access to the same information. 
Image Share allows authorized users access to patient images in full diagnostic quality. Patient images and reports are available in real-time, improving the speed and quality of care for all connected organizations, from private providers to large hospitals.  
Provider Directory is also accessible through the Connie portal and provides a searchable directory of listings derived from multiple public and private data sources. In addition to making it easier for staff to quickly find and contact providers, Connie's Provider Directory establishes a comprehensive, centralized resource for provider information.
BPMH is a medication history created using a systematic process of gathering medication information from multiple sources, deduplicating and standardizing the data, and displaying it in a single resource to assist healthcare providers with patient care. With BPMH, we’ve done the legwork for you by synthesizing the medication information found in your patient’s continuity of care documents (CCDs) and centralizing the information in one place, saving time and making comparative viewing much easier.  

Has anyone else connected with Connie? 
When you connect with Connie, you are in good company with fellow healthcare providers and organizations! Check out our Connected Organizations dashboard to see a list of healthcare organizations you will be joining! 600+ organizations representing 3.6+ million patients, including 39 hospitals, independent providers, and labs are currently enrolled. 
 
Just a few of our community participants include: 

  • Yale New Haven Health 
  • UCONN Health 
  • Bristol Health 
  • Nuvance Health 
  • ProHealth Physicians 
  • Middlesex Health
  • Hartford Healthcare
  • Trinity Health of New England
  • Masonicare  
 
Currently, Connie is integrated with many EMRs including Cerner, Athena, and Epic, and are always adding more! To see an updated list of connected EMRs, check out our EMR Dashboard. 
 
Let’s get started and help you meet the mandate! 
Click here for resources to get you started, including our online Commitment to Connect form, provider brochure, and onboarding infographic. 
 
Once you’ve reviewed and submitted the Commitment to Connect form to info@conniect.org, please register here for an Overview of Connie and How to Connect webinar, where we can answer questions and walk you through the next steps. 
 
To learn more about Connie, visit our Resource Library for webinars, podcasts, service materials, and video tutorials, or keep up with our Quarterly Newsletter to stay in the loop on exciting updates and service releases! 
 
Can’t wait for more updates on Connie? Like and follow us on social media!
Address: 400 Farmington Avenue
Farmington, CT 06032
Phone: (888) 783-4410
Website: www.ConnieCT.org