University of Colorado Hospital Joins CORHIO Health Information Exchange Network

Community health care providers across the state will soon have access to their patients’ information after visiting UCH

University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) has officially signed on to connect to the CORHIO health information exchange (HIE). By connecting its Epic electronic health record (EHR) system with CORHIO’s HIE, UCH is making it possible for patients to receive better follow-up care with their primary care doctors and other community-based health care providers after receiving testing or treatment at their facility.

All Hospitals in UC Health System Will Be Connected

University of Colorado Hospital is part of the new University of Colorado Health (UCHealth) system. Four other UCHealth hospitals are already connected to the CORHIO HIE network: Memorial Hospital Central and Memorial Hospital North in Colorado Springs, Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland and Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins. University Hospital will be the final hospital in the UCHealth system to connect to CORHIO.

“Interconnected electronic health records are an important part of the future of health care,” says UCHealth CEO Bruce Schroffel. “We’re focused on getting every UCHealth location connected through the same medical record system, which will increase quality and efficiency, and CORHIO allows us to connect to outside hospitals and clinics across the state.”

Providers Across the State to Benefit

University of Colorado Hospital is well-known for its research focus and the innovative procedures it offers that are unavailable at other hospitals in the region. Additionally, the hospital is designated as a “Comprehensive Cancer Center” by the National Cancer Institute. So UCH draws patients from all over the state. When those patients return to their hometowns, their primary care doctors and local specialists can now provide better follow-up care by accessing up-to-date information on test results and other clinical information from the hospital.

“Electronic health records already offer improved safety and convenience for my patients,” says CT Lin, MD, Chief Medical Information Officer at UCH. “I regularly see patients from other areas of Colorado including the Western Slope, and being connected through CORHIO will allow me to remain in close contact with my patients and their local physicians, and to safely and securely share medical records and test results once they return to their hometowns.”

“The easy and secure exchange of patient care data among qualified providers statewide is a fundamental and vital step in the transformation of medical care in Colorado,” says Mark Sitarik, MD, Physician Partner at Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers. “Health information exchange enables a more safe, seamless, efficient, and cost-effective system that will allow the delivery of high-quality medical care to citizens, no matter where they happen to be located.”

“Patients travel from all parts of Colorado to get specialty care at University of Colorado Hospital,” says Larry Wolk, MD, CEO at CORHIO. “When those patients return home, they can expect their local doctors to have a better understanding of the tests that were done and the follow-up care they will need. In the case of a cancer patient who is probably seeing multiple providers every month for testing and treatments, this has the potential to dramatically improve the quality of care they receive and their quality of life.”