This is the first edition of the Health Information Exchange project newsletter Connecting People to Care, providing current information on NSRHN HIE Project activities and accomplishments, and the latest in advances in health information technology from the rural healthcare perspective. To view future newsletter editions, sign up below or visit our new website, ConnectUp.org.

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NSRHN is pleased to announce the launch of ConnectUp.org, the dedicated one-stop destination for NSRHN health information technology projects and activities. At ConnectUp.org, visitors can access updates and information on the major components of the NSRHN Health Information Exchange (HIE) Project: Accelerating Quality Improvement Through Collaboration (AQIC); Regional Disease Management (RDM); ePrescribing; and Remote Access to Patient Health Information. To learn more about our programs, or to get involved, please contact Jan Phillips-Sotka, Linda Kehoe or Kerry Coats at 530-722-1156.

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Surprise Valley Healthcare District, one of four rural hospitals participating in the NSRHN HIE Regional Disease Management (RDM) Project, is the first hospital outpatient clinic to install a chronic disease electronic registry system. The CDEMS Chronic Disease Electronic Management System was set up in less than two hours in a remote process between Ezequiel Sandoval, NSRHN Contract CIO, and Dr. Debra Clyde, who mapped out clinical measure parameters for the clinic's adult patients diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus. Dr. Clyde was pleased with the process and was entering patient data by the end of the call. CDEMS allows providers to manage patient information around a defined set of chronic health conditions and is available for download free of charge. Project participants will have the capacity to issue data reports for HIE Project compliance and for a prospective view of patient progress. This not only empowers the patient to become an active part of their care and wellness, it positions safety-net providers to improve quality of life for people with chronic disease.

More about CDEMS...

On February 6 and March 19, NSRHN and the Shasta Consortium of Community Health Centers hosted day-long presentations on the ABCs of Quality Improvement, part of the AQIC Training and Education plan. Thirty-two participants represented eight primary care and three rural hospital clinics from the NSRHN nine-county service area of Northeastern CA. Anne Sparby, RN of Lumetra, and Linda Cade, NP presented hands-on exercises and guided participants through planning strategies for creating aim statements, collecting data, and integrating change into the current clinic workflow process. NSRHN offered Continuing Medical Education units, and Shasta Community Health Center and Community Health Partnership generously provided CEUs for nursing and dental professionals, all at no cost to the participants. NSRHN is offering follow-up video conferences recapping the ABCs of QI, called QI Model 101. The next video conference presentation, Improving Outcomes through Patient Compliance is scheduled for May 21, 12:00 - 1:00 pm. Watch for future video conferences on the ConnectUp.org Website.

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Hill Country Community Clinic and Plumas District Hospital, two of six pilot sites participating in the NSRHN HIE ePrescribing Project, are currently sending electronic prescriptions utilizing eRxNOW, an application available free to providers through the National ePrescribing Patient Safety Initiative, or NEPSI. The goal of the HIE ePrescribing Project is to facilitate the use of electronic prescribing systems among NSRHN safety-net providers to increase efficiencies, minimize the risk of prescription errors and adverse drug events, and allow providers to view the most current patient prescription activity across pharmacies. For more information about the NSRHN HIE ePrescribing Project, visit ConnectUp.org. Information about the National ePrescribing Patient Safety Initiative can be accessed below.

More about NEPSI...