175+ Primary Care Physicians Join the Colorado Health Information Exchange

Primary Physician Partners and Physician Health Partners connect to CORHIO to improve patient care and support ACO objectives.

The expectations are high for the 32 Pioneer Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) in the U.S. They are tasked with improving individual health care as well of population health, and reducing costs. Their results are tied directly to payments and reported publicly. 

One of those ACOs is located right here in the Denver area, Physician Health Partners (PHP). PHP is the management company of Primary Physician Partners (PPP). PPP, the largest primary care independent practice association in the metro area, has connected two of their many practices to the CORHIO health information exchange (HIE).

[Update: in July 2013 PHP left the Pioneer ACO program and instead joined CMS' Medicare Shared Savings Program. Click here for details as reported by Modern Healthcare.]

Improved Provider Workflow and Better Care Coordination

Connecting to the CORHIO HIE will allow the more than 175 primary care physicians in PPP to quickly and securely access their patients’ information from hospitals and other providers. They will receive lab, pathology, and imaging reports, physician transcripts, referral information, newborn screening results and hospital discharge reports. Having access to this information will help PPP physicians efficiently and accurately assess, diagnose and provide treatment to their patients.

The first PPP practice to connect its electronic health record to the CORHIO HIE was Complete Family Medicine, a three-physician practice in Westminster. The second practice, Northside Family Medicine, a two-physician practice in Westminster, has also connected via their Amazing Charts EHR. Throughout 2013, more than 175 primary care providers in PPP will be connected to the HIE.

“PPP is a longtime innovator in health care and being one of the first groups to connect to CORHIO’s HIE further proves our dedication to moving health care forward,” said Michael Archer, MD, PPP, board president and physician at Complete Family Medicine. “We made the decision as a group to invest in this technology, but ultimately it’s an investment in our patients and their health.”

Enhanced Data From HIE Supports ACO Goals

The data provided through the CORHIO HIE helps the PPP providers with care coordination initiatives that are imperative to their goals of accountable and patient-centered care. The HIE makes it easier for providers to proactively follow up with their patients after hospital or specialist visits, which helps prevent medical complications and avoidable hospital readmissions. For individuals with chronic conditions, such as heart disease, asthma or diabetes, well-managed care coordination is essential to avoid unnecessary complications.

“Primary Physician Partners and Physician Health Partners are well-known for providing high-quality, evidence-based care to their patients,” said Larry Wolk, MD, CORHIO’s chief executive officer. “CORHIO is thrilled that thousands of people in the Denver metro area will benefit from improved care coordination as a result of PPP’s providers joining the HIE. We’re also pleased to be supporting PHP with their clinical data needs as a Pioneer ACO.”

On a state level, there are currently 28 hospitals, 575 office-based providers, 27 long-term and post-acute care facilities and two behavioral health centers connected to the CORHIO HIE. CORHIO is also in the process of expanding its network of health care providers and is actively working to connect additional hospitals, office-based providers, additional long-term and post-acute care providers and behavioral health centers.