
Little Rock, Arkansas May 2023 SHARE, Arkansas’ statewide health information exchange, announced today that Unity Health has successfully connected to its health information exchange (HIE) network. The connection of Unity Health’s Meditech Expanse electronic medical record system with SHARE’s HIE greatly expands its capabilities to coordinate patient care quickly and efficiently with community providers throughout Arkansas. When a patient is hospitalized or has a medical test performed at one of Unity Health hospitals or clinics, important health information is electronically recorded and made automatically available to the patient’s care providers on the SHARE network. Information shared includes laboratory results, radiology results, pathology reports, immunizations, allergies, diagnosis, transcription notes and vital information from admissions and discharges. This immediate communication helps the patient’s care team better track his or her medical needs, which can prevent repeat hospitalizations and redundant testing.
“Unity Health’s vital role in the community as a major care provider for Arkansas residents makes this a very important partnership for SHARE. We are thrilled to include the clinical data from 4 hospitals and 30+ clinics in the HIE, especially coming out of a pandemic when transparency and real-time communication is so important.”
Justin Villines, HIT Policy Director
“Unity Health is excited to be a part of the SHARE network. Their vast health information system will allow our providers and care teams to connect with the resources that they need,” says Phil Miller, Chief Information Officer. “The principle of our mission is to achieve the best outcomes for our patients, and we are confident that this partnership advances that priority”, said Miller.
SHARE is also assisting Unity Health in connecting to the Arkansas Department of Health for required public health reporting to include bi-directional immunizations, electronic lab reporting, syndromic surveillance, and electronic case reporting (eCR). This allows them to meet the 2023 Promoting Interoperability Program HIE Measure as well as the Bi-Directional CCDA Exchange measure.
SHARE HIE plays a critical role in improving population health by facilitating the exchange of health information among different healthcare providers, which can lead to more coordinated and effective care. By having a more complete picture of a patient’s health history and current health status, healthcare providers can make more informed decisions about patient care and develop targeted interventions that address the specific needs of a population.
For example, SHARE HIE can be used to track the prevalence of chronic conditions, such as diabetes or hypertension, among a population and identify areas where targeted interventions may be needed. SHARE can also be used to monitor the effectiveness of population health interventions and track outcomes over time.
Overall, health information exchange offers significant benefits for patients, healthcare providers, and healthcare organizations, including improved patient care, increased efficiency, enhanced population health management, improved coordination of care, and increased patient engagement.
ABOUT UNITY HEALTH:
As the leading healthcare provider and largest employer in an eight-county area, Unity Health and its more than 2,300 associates strive to improve the quality of health and well-being for the communities they serve through compassionate care. Unity Health has more than 150 physicians that specialize in various areas of healthcare.
Unity Health, an Arkansas healthcare system, includes four hospital campuses: White County Medical Center in Searcy, Specialty Care Campus in Searcy, Unity Health in Newport, and Unity Health in Jacksonville. The healthcare system includes 13 family practice clinics located in Beebe, Bradford, Cabot, Heber Springs, Newport, and Searcy. Specialists and specialty clinics consist of 15 areas of practice including Unity Health – Cardiology Clinic, Unity Health – Orthopedic and Spine Center and the Pyeatt Family Cancer Center. Unity Health Behavioral Health includes four outpatient clinics: Unity Health – Clarity Health and Wellness clinics in Searcy, Newport, Cabot and Jacksonville and inpatient facilities in Newport and Searcy, and Jacksonville.
Learn more at www.Unity-Health.org
Little Rock, Arkansas April 2023 Despite the widespread availability of secure electronic data transfer, most medical information is sometimes locked in data silos. To improve the completeness of a patient’s record and close gaps in fragmented care coordination, ARcare Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC’s) continues to expand their connection to SHARE HIE. On Friday March 31, 2023, a massive tornado rummaged through Little Rock to Wynne, Arkansas causing destruction and devastation in its path. ARcare’s connection to SHARE HIE continues to offer a streamlined way to receive clinical data in real-time on the patients they serve throughout Arkansas while getting alerted on daily hospitalizations and emergency room encounters. The statewide community FQHC clinics have instant access to the most current patient-encounter data ─ physician notes, lab results, diagnostic results, procedures, ordered prescriptions and more ─ to inform clinical diagnoses at the point of care especially during national disasters such as tornadoes.
Here’s how the partnership and collaboration work: When an ARcare patient arrives in the emergency department or is admitted to the hospital, SHARE sends out a notice of hospitalization. “SHARE hospitalization reports are delivered daily to ARcare’s clinics, which assists our care teams on ED and IP follow-up”, said Lauren Fields, Chief Nursing Officer. “The hospitalization reports assist us in transitions of care management of our patients statewide which allows for timely follow-up on a patient’s needs”, said Fields.
ARcare Story: For over 40 years, ARcare has instilled commitment, compassion, and trust throughout Arkansas, Kentucky & Mississippi. Beginning in 1986 with Dr. Steven Collier’s unquestionable mandate to serve “the least, the last, and the lost,” ARcare has brought superior healthcare to patients, regardless of their ability to pay.
The State Health Alliance for Records Exchange (SHARE) HIE securely provides a comprehensive picture of a patient’s care across providers and regions with Access Medical Clinics. Access Medical Clinics now has over 35 clinics statewide from Garfield to El Dorado and growing. Patient’s records are updated 24/7 with each encounter with connection between SHARE and their Athena EMR. Connecting practitioners to timely and actionable patient information facilitates care coordination and promotes cost-effective solutions.
TESTIMONIAL: Our clinics have used SHARE HIE for over 5 years now and have been very satisfied with the service they provide. They do just what they set out to do and have connected our clinics with valuable patient health information including hospitalization reports daily. It is very common for there to be a delay in receiving patient records, and this can truly hinder the overall care they receive and their experience at the clinic. Having immediate access to this information has assisted us in providing more thorough treatment plans, medication management, and improved overall patient care. Our providers, like many, monitor large patient caseloads along with their medication management. The option to upload our provider caseloads to have alerts sent to them regarding their specific patients has assisted with providing the best patient care we can, while reducing duplicate work, and additional costs to the patients. Dr. Bradley Bibb, MD, Family Physician, Access Medical Clinic Arkansas
About Access Medical Clinic: Access Medical Clinic is a leading family practice providing a complete complement of care and treatment options for patients throughout Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and Indiana. With its dedicated team of physicians, family nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses and other healthcare providers and support staff, Access Medical Clinic is committed to helping every member of your family stay as healthy as possible at every age and every stage of life.
SHARE has received the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Outcomes-Based Certification (OBC). During the certification review, SHARE proposed three of its premier services for CMS to evaluate: event notification services, real time Medicaid clinical data exchange, and public health reporting capabilities. The certification allows SHARE to receive enhanced federal funding to support the ongoing operations and to continue our mission to improve the delivery, coordination, and quality of health care across Arkansas.
Health Information Exchange (HIE) has the potential to change the way we provide and receive medical care. It can assist in eliminating fatal medical errors and save lives. Changes are on the way for health care in Central Arkansas. PrimeCare Medical Clinic, a multispecialty clinic with locations in Searcy, North Little Rock, Conway, and West Conway, has integrated their eCW electronic medical record system with SHARE HIE. The goal behind this coordinated effort is to better connect physicians with the patients’ health data while PrimeCARE Doctors, Physician Assistants, and Nurse Practitioners work collaboratively to provide excellent care with a more complete health record of their patient.
Benefits of SHARE HIE include better access to health care, less paperwork for doctors and patients, better care, increase in administrative efficiency, decrease in the cost of healthcare, and prevention of deadly medical errors. Having access to the most up-to-date patient information can assist care teams to deliver the best possible care, avoid duplicate medical tests, and save time.
About PrimeCare: Walk-in 7 Days a Week PrimeCARE makes seeing a provider easier! Their extended hours and medical expertise are here to help with urgent, non-life-threatening illness and injuries every day. Patients don’t need a prior appointment to see a provider and they accept most insurances. In Central Arkansas, their patients are never far from convenient family medicine!
ambulatory/specialty sites, and behavioral health centers to better track and manage continuity of care delivery activities for its population, specifically person’s living with multiple chronic conditions.
view of their health history, treatment, and progress. That is powerful information that transforms the way the clinics’ care team plans, delivers and coordinates with their patient population.
Amazing Staff: Julie Pennington, BSN, RN, Julia Barnes, MT, Milton Remley, Paramedic, Amy Jones, LPN, Hayley Woodard, LPN, Kylie Caldwell, RT(R) Kelby Smith, RT(R) Emmalee Satterlee, RT(R) Anna Wright, Keanu Green, Alex Cross, Lexi Dunaway, Evelyn Martinez, Stacy Burns, Kelli McTigrit, LCSW
Little Rock, Arkansas October 2022 The core of Health Information Exchange (HIE) is sharing of electronic information between organizations. Because of the power and complexity that’s possible with Electronic Health Records (EHR), organizations such as Ozark Orthopaedics continue to invest significant time and resources to achieve the level of interoperability that’s essential for efficient care.
In Ozark Orthopaedics’ four locations, they are committed to improving the quality and safety of care they provide to their patients. That’s why they have integrated their Athena EHR with SHARE – which allows the clinicians and care team to quickly get the comprehensive medical information they need to deliver efficient and personalized care.
About Ozark Orthopaedics:
This has now changed for CABUN Rural Health Services clinics, that is now integrated with the Arkansas’ statewide health information exchange, known as the State Health Alliance for Records Exchange (SHARE). As a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), CABUN established in 1978, has taken interoperability to heart the last few years, which is a visible expression of the unswerving commitment they have to the Arkansas communities they serve. Their partnerships with local businesses and concerned citizen groups, as well as their participation in community development activities, speak to the ongoing commitment to provide affordable health for all in Arkansas.
About CABUN Rural Health Services:
CABUN Rural Health Services is a private non-profit corporation developed to provide affordable care to meet the primary medical and dental care needs of the residents in 8 counties of rural south and southwestern Arkansas, especially in the communities of Hampton, Bearden, Strong, Hope, Amity, El Dorado, and Lewisville. CABUN is a Federally Qualified Health Center that offers care in communities that would have no other source of healthcare. Through their affiliations, CABUN can provide affordable medical, laboratory, radiological, and dental services to all in Arkansas. CABUN has created a Patient-Centered Medical Home through a network of primary care clinics, dental clinics, and wellness centers. CABUN’s highly trained doctors, dentists, and healthcare professionals provide education and prevention programs to other Arkansas agencies, as well as to our patients. They are a health center in the Health Center Program grantee under 42 U.S.C.254b, and a deemed Public Health Service employee under 42 U.S.C. 233(g)-(n).
An FQHC Treats Complex Patients Using SHARE HIE Data
About Boston Mountain Rural Health Ceter, Inc.