HONOLULU, HI (February 13, 2012) – Governor Neil Abercrombie and the Hawai‘i Health Information Exchange (Hawai‘i HIE) today signed a Memorandum of Agreement outlining how Hawai‘i HIE and the state will collaborate to develop and implement a statewide health information network that enables Hawai‘i health providers to share electronic patient health information. A signing ceremony was held in the Governor’s office to formally confirm the agreement.

“The Hawai‘i HIE has made tremendous progress in the last several years evaluating and determining the state’s infrastructure requirements that will support the transformation of Hawai‘i’s health care system,” said Gov. Abercrombie. “Finalizing our updated cooperative agreement with Hawai‘i HIE will ultimately result in improved health care for all Hawai‘i residents.”

The non-profit Hawai‘i HIE was designated by the state in 2009 to develop and implement a statewide electronic health information exchange (HIE) that will eventually feed into the Nationwide Health Information Network (NwHIN). In 2010, Hawai‘i HIE secured more than $5.6 million in federal funding to create the exchange, which allows health care providers to share patient health information electronically through a secure network that adheres to national data exchange standards. The timely and secure exchange of health data is key to providing efficient and effective care to patients and to improving the overall quality of health care for Hawai‘i’s residents and visitors.

As part of Monday’s signing ceremony, Hawai‘i HIE announced their selection of Medicity, the nation’s largest provider of HIE technology, as its health information exchange partner. Medicity will build the HIE in phases, beginning with a direct messaging function that allows the exchange of patient data between two health care providers and a referral application function that allows a physician or other health care providers to indicate what type of information they prefer when receiving a referred patient. 

“The selection of our technology partner is a significant milestone for the Hawai‘i HIE,” noted Christine Sakuda, Executive Director for the Hawai‘i HIE. “A secure and scalable infrastructure enables us to start connecting Hawai‘i’s health care providers gradually and increase the sharing of information to more effectively diagnose and treat patients.  We look forward to implementing this health communication technology, which will help us improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of health care in Hawai‘i.”

The Hawai‘i HIE has been closely working with Beth Giesting, the state’s Healthcare Transformation Coordinator, and others in the health care community to build the foundation for the exchange. “The Hawai‘i HIE is playing a major role in our efforts to transform our current health care system into one that coordinates care for better outcomes, lower costs, and improved patient and provider satisfaction,” Giesting said.

To download a Word version of the press release, please click HERE.