RD196 - Progress Report on a Pilot Project Connecting Public Health Providers to Carilion CarePort System


Executive Summary:
Pursuant to Item 312 H. of the 2005 Appropriations Act, a pilot project to connect public health providers to Carilion Health System’s electronic health records system was established. The Virginia Department of Health collaborated with Carilion Health System to design, implement, administer, and evaluate the pilot program. During year one of the pilot, two Virginia Department of Health (VDH) clinics in Southwestern Virginia were provided with online access to Carilion’s CarePort System that contains medical information for patients seen within Carilion’s hospitals. Four key tasks were accomplished in order to facilitate the sharing of protected health information. These included 1) the establishment of mutually agreeable security and privacy policies, procedures and guidelines: 2) the establishment of patient education and patient authorization materials to demonstrate information privacy and security; 3) the interfacing of VDH’s Master Patient Identifier (MPI) with the Carilion’s Enterprise Master Person Identifier (EMPI) and the subsequent verification of a mutual clinical relationship; and 4) the user training and user program supports that maintains day-to-day functionality. The pilot demonstrated that two organizations could work cooperatively to establish comprehensive privacy and security policies that are then effectively communicated to patients. This pilot also demonstrated the commitment of both organizations to devote extensive technical resources toward a project that will improve the quality of care delivered in Virginia.

Item 293 Q. of the 2006 Appropriations Act sought to continue and expand the existing pilot project throughout the biennium. The expansion objectives were two fold. Additional clinics in Southwestern Virginia were added to the project. In addition, the Immunization Data Exchange Project was initiated in an effort to support the timely administration of pediatric immunizations and reduce the number of duplicative immunizations delivered within the area. Carilion has populated the immunization registry with a three year history of immunization information abstracted from their outpatient electronic health record (EHR) system. This will allow for the mutual sharing of immunization administration histories for children treated within the VDH clinic system and the Carilion Health System. As an “early-adopter”, Carilion will be providing health information on immunizations administered by over 300 physicians and primary care providers in the area. This will speed the efforts of VDH in its creation of a complete electronic immunization record for all the citizens of the Commonwealth.