In 2015, there were 613,392 queries and transactions about health information through GaHIN. 2015 Annual Report GEORGIA HEALTH INFORMATION NETWORK That s 613,392 people fathers mothers sisters brothers sons daughters grandmothers grandfathers friends cousins aunts uncles nephews nieces neighbors coworkers who received better care through better connections.
Mission: To facilitate a statewide health information network for Georgia that is trusted and valued by all stakeholders; works to improve health care coordination and reduces costs; and establishes a solid foundation for long-term financial sustainability. Vision: To create a healthier Georgia through the use and exchange of electronic health information to improve patient-centered health care, increase efficiencies and improve the health of the state s entire population. Table of Contents Message from Leadership...3 Connecting Georgia... 4 Products and Services...5 Network of Networks...6 Strategies and Priorities...7 Financial Overview...8 Executive Committee/ Board of Directors... 9-10 Purpose: To close the patient information gap across care settings by electronically connecting disparate systems and data sources to support improved quality of care, better health outcomes and reductions in cost. 2
A Message From Leadership Dear Friends and Colleagues, The Georgia Health Information Network (GaHIN) built on the successes of 2014 and preceding years to reach a number of milestones during 2015. Drawing upon our strong infrastructure, GaHIN was able to add a broad range of new members, who provide valuable contributions to the type and quality of patient information available through the Network. GaHIN more than doubled the number of providers using Georgia ConnectedCare, our query-based product, during 2015. This rise in members can be attributed in large part to the three Regional Health Information Exchanges (RHIEs) who connected with GaHIN: HealtheConnection, Georgia Health Connect and the Georgia Regional Academic Community Health Information Exchange (GRAChIE). One of the most significant connections was with the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD). This makes GaHIN one of the first HIEs in the nation to provide secure, protected access to a state agency with behavioral health and development disabilities information. GaHIN also furthered its connections with neighboring states, adding East Tennessee HIE and Alabama One Health Record to its existing connection with South Carolina s HIE. One of the most interesting additions to the Network was a connection with the nonprofit Georgia Partnership for TeleHealth (GPT). This connection allows nurses from participating school systems to securely exchange information with more than 7,000 Georgia healthcare providers, including Children s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA), the state s largest pediatric healthcare system, as well as Georgia s immunization registry. Dennis L. White, MSIT, DHA Chairman, GaHIN Denise Hines, PMP, FHIMSS, DHA Executive Director, GaHIN Care providers in the GPT rural school initiative will receive healthcare technology training thanks to GaHIN s $100,000 grant from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). GaHIN was one of only 10 community programs nationwide to receive this type of ONC grant. GaHIN awarded $1 million in grants to its members during 2015 to accelerate technology adoption and help Georgia s eligible providers and hospitals connect to the HIE so they can securely access and share patient information at the point of care. The program was funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, with the Georgia Department of Community Health passing the funds through to GaHIN to develop and execute the program. We would like to thank the many individuals and organizations that have collaborated with us in advancing health IT in Georgia, including our Board of Directors and the healthcare and business communities they represent. Through this strong support, GaHIN is able to support the efficient and cost-effective delivery of quality care throughout Georgia. 3
Connecting Georgia GaHIN (pronounced gee-hin) is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a healthier Georgia through the use and exchange of electronic health information. GaHIN facilitates the use and secure exchange of patient health information so providers have the information they need at the point of care, resulting in improved quality of care, better health outcomes and reductions in cost. HOSPITAL PHYSICIAN GOVERNMENT SCHOOL CLINIC DENTIST PHARMACY GEORGIA HEALTH INFORMATION NETWORK HOME HEALTH HOSPICE LONG TERM CARE LAB PAYERS EMPLOYERS GaHIN Connections State Agencies Medicaid (DCH) Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) Care Management Organizations Amerigroup Health Systems/Hospitals Emory Healthcare (Cerner) Grady Health System (Epic) Children s Healthcare of Atlanta (Epic) Regional HIEs Georgia Health Connect (GaHC) (Liaison) HealtheConnection (Cerner) GRAChIE/Chatham HealthLink (Cerner) Specialty Connection Georgia Partnership for Telehealth (Azalea) National Exchange SCHIEx (South Carolina Health Information Exchange) ethin (East Tennessee Health Information Exchange) One Health Record (Alabama Health Information Exchange) 4
Product and Services GaHIN offers national connectivity through its two products Georgia ConnectedCare and GeorgiaDirect. Both are free for credentialed, authorized Georgia providers. GEORGIA CONNECTEDCARE Georgia ConnectedCare is part of the national ehealth Exchange and allows providers to use their EHR to query (search) for patient health data from hospitals, physician practices, state health systems and much more. 2015 414,323 queries ~7,400 connected providers 19,853,249 demographic records in GaHIN s Master Patient Index Organizations and services that are part of Georgia ConnectedCare include: Medicaid claims data Immunization (GRITS) data and bi-directional submission gateway Web-based clinical portal for providers without EHRs Public health gateway elab and Syndromic Surveillance reporting GEORGIADIRECT GeorgiaDirect is part of the DirectTrust national network that lets providers securely send patient health information, such as referrals and reports, to other authorized healthcare professionals and patients. With GeorgiaDirect, providers can use the Internet to send and receive authenticated, encrypted health information directly with other trusted recipients, both within Georgia and nationwide. 2015 199,069 transactions 3,025 registered provider organizations More than half of the professionals in the U.S. healthcare system have access to Direct, including over 52,000 healthcare organizations and 1.1 million Direct addresses/accounts. 5
Network of Networks GaHIN uses a federated-hybrid model, called a network of networks, that allows patient information to remain with the treating provider; information only flows when there is authorization. This interoperable, standards-based network adds value to the IT investments already made by health systems and providers and helps keep HIE operations manageable and costs low. This approach also reduces barriers for providers to participate in the exchange. Patients Medicaid Providers Regional HIEs Hospitals THE NETWORK Payers EHR Vendors Public Health Pharmacies Health Systems Supporting Interoperability Health information exchange is central to achieving interoperability across multiple care settings, meaning everyone in the healthcare ecosystem has a stake in secure data sharing. An increasing body of evidence shows that care providers who are equipped with comprehensive patient information can deliver better quality care and improve outcomes. The timely exchange of patient health information can lower costs by eliminating duplicate costs and services. Use of an HIE also ensures providers in rural and underserved areas have the same access to information as large healthcare network a positive step to achieving technology equality and ensuring that, regardless of location, everyone receives quality care. Provider communication and collaboration not only helps to improve patient care, it also reduces potential medication and medical errors, streamlines workflow and decreases administrative costs. Physicians can spend more one-on-one time with patients instead of tracking down records. 6 HIEs offer a low-cost, high-impact means of securely sharing healthcare data, especially since the large number of disparate EHRs makes it difficult to connect systems and exchange data. Additionally, HIEs like GaHIN support new payment models such as bundled payments and pay-for-value that require coordination among multiple providers.
Strategies and Priorities 2015 Achievements In 2014, we established the foundation for GaHIN through infrastructure development and product delivery. During 2015, we built upon that infrastructure, adding connections with Regional Health Information Exchanges (RHIEs), state agencies and neighboring states. During 2015, the Georgia Partnership for TeleHealth (GPT) became a member of GaHIN. GPT serves some of the most economically disadvantaged areas in Georgia with their Rural School-Based Telehealth Center Initiative. School nurses use medical devices equipped with cameras to share data and images with healthcare providers, who can view the information on a computer screen at their offices. Reaching those most in need is one way that technology and GaHIN is changing the way healthcare is delivered. Significant 2015 achievements include: Connected with three Regional Health Information Exchanges (RHIEs): HealtheConnection, Georgia Health Connect and the Georgia Regional Academic Community Health Information Exchange (GRAChIE) Awarded $1 million in grants to accelerate technology adoption and help Georgia s eligible providers and hospitals connect to the HIE More than doubled the number of providers using Georgia ConnectedCare Was one of the first HIEs in the nation to connect with a state agency with behavioral health and development disabilities information Connected with HIEs in East Tennessee and Alabama Future Strategies and Priorities GaHIN s priorities for 2016 and the years to come are centered on three key activities: Growing the number of connected members Increasing the value offered by the organization Securing our financial future GaHIN has established a plan for 2016 to gain participation from additional Georgia hospitals, with the Gwinnett Medical Center actively working towards completing their connection. We continue to add other state and national entities, including the Texas HIE and the Veterans Health Administration. Additionally, GaHIN works closely with its members to determine the services that would deliver value and improve care. We made substantial progress during 2015 on securing our financial future by establishing a payment schedule for care management organizations, and we continue to explore other services that benefit our members and offer a source of income. 7
GEORGIA HEALTH INFORMATION NETWORK, INC. STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 AND 2014 ASSETS ASSETS 2015 2014 Cash $ 1,367,492 $ 1,065,263 Prepaid expense 11,674 783 TOTAL ASSETS $ 1,379,166 $ 1,066,046 LIABILITIES LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS Accounts payable $ 1,107,160 $ 26,609 TOTAL LIABILITIES 1,107,160 26,609 NET ASSETS Unrestricted 242,536 835,581 Temporarily restricted 29,470 203,856 TOTAL NET ASSETS 272,006 1,039,437 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS $ 1,379,166 $ 1,066,046 8
Board of Directors 2015 Executive Committee & Officers Dennis L. White, MSIT, DHA (Chairman) CEO, Alliant/GMCF James R. (Jim) Morrow, MD (Vice Chairman) President and CEO, Morrow Family Medicine, Medical Association of Georgia Duane A Kavka (Secretary) Executive Director, Georgia Association for Primary Health Care, Inc. Glenn E. Pearson, FACHE (Treasurer) Member at Large Denise Hines, DHA, PMP, FHIMSS Executive Director, GaHIN Donna W. Hyland President and CEO, Children s Healthcare of Atlanta Dominic H. Mack, MD, MBA Deputy Director of the National Center for Primary Care, Executive Medical Director/Principal Investigator GA-HITEC, Morehouse School of Medicine Clyde L. Reese, III Commissioner, Georgia Department of Community Health 9
Directors Barbara Barrett Assistant Vice President of Human Resources, Langdale Industries, Inc. Scott Brunner Executive Vice President and CEO, Georgia Pharmacy Association William (Clay) Campbell President and CEO, Archbold Health Services Dedra (Dee) Cantrell, RN CIO, Emory Healthcare of Atlanta Tod Citron Executive Director and CEO, Cobb & Douglas Community Service Boards Laura Ellis Chief, Division of Health IT, Georgia Department of Community Health Tom Ford CEO, Lookout Mountain Community Services James Garvie Director of Compensation & Benefits, Southern Company Paula Guy, RN CEO, Georgia Partnership for TeleHealth Marsha Hopkins Chief Operating Officer, Department of Community Healthy Jon Howell President and CEO, Georgia Health Care Association Warren S. Hutchings, MD Chairman, Georgia State Medical Association Morgan Kendrick President, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia J. Alan Kent, FACHE President and CEO, Meadows Regional Medical Center Sharon King Chief of Staff, Department of Community Health In the future we will look at GaHIN and say... how in the world did we ever deliver care and practice medicine without this? Dr. J. Patrick O Neil Director of Health Protection, Georgia Department of Public Health Carol A. Ludwig, RPH Pharmacy Chief, Department of Veterans Affairs Deven Mattheus, MPM Chief Clinical Integration Officer, Northeast Georgia Health System, HealtheConnection HIE J. Patrick O Neal, MD Director of Health Protection, Georgia Department of Public Health Doug Patten, MD Chief Medical Officer, Georgia Hospital Association Katie Rogers Governor s Health Policy Advisor, State of Georgia Thomas E. Sittnick Director of the Office of Health Services, Department of Corrections Jeffeory White, MD CEO, White s Pediatrics & North Georgia Clinical Research Center Cindy Zeldin Executive Director, Georgians for a Healthy Future 10
75 5th Street NW, Suite 600 Atlanta, GA 30308 866.233.8203 www.gahin.org