Little Rock, Arkansas August 2023 SHARE, Arkansas’ state-designated health information exchange, has partnered with Sevier County Medical Center (SCMC), that opened in January 2023, to improve interoperability. Quality healthcare depends on the completeness and clinical enrichment of a patient’s record at the point of care and across the population.
Data exchange in healthcare is important because it allows healthcare providers to access and share patient information across different healthcare settings and systems. This partnership allows a more complete picture of patients’ health, providing immunization records, lab results, medications, and procedure results and will reduce the need for patients and their families to request paper records.
“Many patients in Arkansas receive care both in a hospital setting and from ambulatory, outpatient and behavioral health care providers,” said Lori House, CEO of Sevier County Medical Center. “Care coordination is critical to quality of care and patient safety. The ability for our providers treating our patients to have secure access to clinical information via SHARE HIE through our Meditech EMR connection will enhance the ability to coordinate complex care across multiple systems.” said House.
There are several benefits to Sevier County Medical Center integrating with SHARE, statewide health information exchange (HIE), including:
- Improved patient care: By sharing patient health information across healthcare providers, SCMC can provide more comprehensive care to their patients. This can lead to better diagnoses, more effective treatments, and fewer medical errors.
- Increased efficiency: Sharing patient information electronically through SHARE can reduce the need for faxing, mailing, or manually transporting patient records, which can be time-consuming and error prone.
- Better care coordination: When SCMC and other healthcare providers share patient information through SHARE, they can coordinate care more effectively. This can lead to better outcomes for patients, especially those with complex health conditions.
- Cost savings: By reducing the need for duplicate tests, procedures, and treatments, SCMC can save money and reduce healthcare costs overall.
- Improved population health: SHARE can help healthcare providers identify patterns and trends in health data, which can inform public health initiatives and improve overall population health.
- Compliance with regulations: Integrating with SHARE can help SCMC comply with state and federal regulations related to health information exchange and patient privacy.
“Enabling these safe and secure electronic communications means the community health care providers can access more key health care information in near real time, instead of days or weeks — enabling them to quickly make informed decisions that result in better care”, said Anne Santifer, Director of the Office of Health Information Technology
About Sevier County Medical Center:
Sevier County Medical Center is a county owned and operated acute care hospital that opened January 23, 2023. Their goal is to become a critical access hospital which will help sustain the financial wellness of their organization. Sevier County Medical Center is governed by the Board of Governors.
Healthcare provided by those who care!
Services:
- Emergency Services
- Imaging / Radiology Services
- Respiratory Therapy
- Laboratory Services
- Outpatient Therapy
- Specialty Clinic
- Safe-Haven Baby Box
Learn more: seviercountymedical.com
