The Connecticut State Medical Society (CSMS) in association with five other state medical societies and The Physicians Foundation, today announced the formation of the first of its kind $500,000 interoperability fund, known as
The Physicians Foundation Interoperability Fund
, which will assist medical practices in effectively sharing clinical information with other physicians and hospitals through health information exchanges (HIE). Funding is available for physicians in participating states with an electronic health record system (EHR) and will be allocated to practices on a first come basis.
“We are thrilled that The Physicians Foundation will be providing financial assistance to medical practices who need access to shared clinical data to provide quality patient care, but who lack the funds to connect,” states CSMS president Claudia Gruss, MD.
Sharing timely clinical patient information among physicians and hospitals with disparate EHRs relies upon a connection to an HIE. Through The Physicians Foundation Interoperability Fund, HIE participants can access patient data regardless of where the patient received care. Sharing of this timely information will improve clinical outcomes, reduce inefficiencies, and improve patient safety when fully implemented.
Jeffrey Gordon, MD, Chair of the CTHealthLink Governance Committee, stated, “CTHealthLink was designed by physicians as a way of sharing important patient information with healthcare professionals, patients, health systems, payors, and state agencies. The Physicians Foundation Interoperability Fund will enable practices to connect to this powerful and effective exchange that will help improve patient care and experience.
Other medical societies participating in the fund include the Medical Association of Georgia, Louisiana State Medical Society, the Missouri State Medical Association, the Medical Society of New Jersey and the South Carolina Medical Association.
“EHRs continue to be a major source of burden for physicians across the country. In conjunction with these state medical societies, The Physicians Foundation Interoperability Fund will provide resources for improving information exchange across participating states,” said Gary Price, M.D., president of The Physicians Foundation. “Our hope is that this initial Fund can be scaled nationwide to ensure physicians can effectively share timely and critical health information to ultimately improve health outcomes and care quality for their patients.”
Physicians in Connecticut seeking more information about The Physicians Foundation Interoperability Fund or about CTHealthLink should contact CSMS CEO/EVP Matthew Katz at
mkatz@csms.org
.
