Craig Hospital Now Provides Admission, Discharge and Transfer (ADT) Data Through CORHIO

PatientCare 360® customers can now access ADT from world-renowned neurorehabilitation hospital

One of the world’s highly respected neurorehabilitation hospitals, Englewood, Colo.-based Craig Hospital, recently went live with their admission, discharge and transfer (ADT) data through the CORHIO network. The data is now available through CORHIO’s PatientCare 360® service.

Chris Watkins, Director of IT at Craig Hospital, says the ADTs will be useful in giving healthcare professionals throughout Colorado the real-time data they need to manage the health of patients after they check out of Craig Hospital’s facility. He notes that about half of the hospital’s patients are from Colorado and the average stay at the hospital is about 60 days – much longer than traditional hospitals -- with a considerably more specialized emphasis and unique recovery challenges.

Craig Hospital’s legacy
Founded in 1907 as a tuberculosis clinic, Craig Hospital is known worldwide for its expertise in brain and spinal cord injuries. As an independent, not-for-profit center of excellence, Craig Hospital has treated more than 34,500 people since 1956.

Staff from Craig Hospital embrace a philosophy that while a debilitating injury might require some adjustments, it doesn’t mean life comes to a halt. Patients are encouraged to continue their jobs and outdoor activities and to stay as active as possible. The hospital also conducts research on interventions to improve recovery for individuals with spinal cord and brain injuries.

How ADTs benefit patients, Colorado healthcare
Though Craig Hospital only recently started providing ADTs, Watkins notes the institution has been participating in basic Health Information Exchange (HIE) through CORHIO since 2012 as a PatientCare 360 customer.

“We’ve had access to CORHIO for years and our admitting department uses HIE quite extensively,” Watkins says. “All of the big healthcare organizations in Colorado are using CORHIO, so that helps our admissions staff in admitting new patients.”

The access to HIE speeds up the process of giving the patients the care they need and getting their treatment on track.

“From a clinical standpoint, the data we receive through our partnership with CORHIO is extremely helpful for our admissions team and a majority of our patients,” says Jandel Allen-Davis, MD, President and CEO of Craig Hospital. “Sending our data to CORHIO will not only help inform the continuum of care for Craig’s patients after they’ve been discharged, but there is great potential in using the data to better inform the continuity of care for Coloradans who’ve experienced spinal cord and brain injuries. The more robust and comprehensive participation that CORHIO enjoys through hospital and provider participation only enhances our ability to provide comprehensive health and healthcare that is safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable and patient-centered. I am gratified to know that Craig is deepening its connections to this important HIE.”

Deanna Towne, Chief Information Officer of CORHIO says Craig Hospital’s real time ADTs will add significant value to all HIE participants.

"Craig Hospital is known as one of the best neurorehabilitation and research Hospitals in the country,” says Deanna Towne, Chief Information Officer of CORHIO. “Patients from across the country are treated in this very specialized hospital setting and the ability to share that critical data with other members of the clinical ecosystem is essential to transitioning their care upon release."

Next steps in HIE
Watkins notes that as a rehabilitation hospital, Craig is not required to meet interoperability standards established by the federal government for electronic health records, but it’s been the hospital’s intention to participate in HIE since the advent of the technology more than 10 years ago.

Phase Two of Craig’s implementation effort with CORHIO will focus on radiology, pathology, transcription and lab results, giving healthcare providers throughout the state even more robust data to inform clinical decisions moving forward.