St. Joseph Hoag Health Joins the California Integrated Data Exchange
Largest provider of healthcare in Orange County to participate in statewide health information exchange
The California Integrated Data Exchange (Cal INDEX) announced that it has joined with St. Joseph Hoag Health, the largest health care provider in Orange County, to deliver a single statewide health information exchange (HIE) that allows payers and providers throughout California to seamlessly and securely access patient health information to improve care delivery.
With Cal INDEX’s next-generation health information exchange (HIE), data is securely shared at the point of care, allowing physicians to quickly understand the patient’s health history, better coordinate care and avoid duplicate test orders as well as adverse drug interactions. Currently, more than nine million health information records — nearly one quarter of the state’s population — are on Cal INDEX and, with the addition of St. Joseph Hoag Health, over a million more people will be connected.
“St. Joseph Hoag Health’s participation in Cal INDEX will enhance the quality of care received by patients,” said Gerald Peters, general counsel and interim CEO of Cal INDEX. “Our health information exchange is built on a platform that can expand to handle vast amounts of clinical and claims data as additional organizations join Cal INDEX. Hospitals, physicians and patients all benefit from our service because the information is delivered securely to authorized users in real-time – speeding the ability of providers to better help patients.”
“While the current state of health care is mostly focused around the providers of care — doctors, nurses, hospitals — we must be equally focused on the consumer,” said Richard Afable, MD, MPH, president and CEO of St. Joseph Hoag Health in Irvine, Calif. “St. Joseph Hoag Health is at the forefront of developing an integrated model that brings together all participants in health care, building alignment and accountability, and bettering the patient experience. By participating in Cal INDEX, we can break down long-standing barriers and foster collaboration so that care can be more effectively coordinated, clinical outcomes can be improved and patient safety can be ensured.”