Mennonite Health System connects to Health Dept.’s Health Information Exchange system
The Mennonite Health System announced it has connected and started the exchange of data with the Health Department’s Puerto Rico Health Information Exchange (PRHIE) system, which pursues the interoperability of clinical systems in real time for public health purposes and continuity of patient care, as needed.
“The Mennonite Health System continues to direct its operation toward a cutting-edge one, which increasingly facilitates access to information for the benefit of all its components. Since 2015 we’ve focused our efforts on the integration of technology tools tailored to the trends and needs of the industry and the population,” said Ricardo Hernández, executive director of the Mennonite Health System.
“We recently became the first health system on the island to connect our electronic medical record with mobile applications such as Apple Health,” he said. “This new project with the Health Department is another concrete step toward our goal of continuing to evolve and innovate in all areas of our operation, to effectively and efficiently serve our hospital community and Puerto Rico.”
With this initiative, the Mennonite Health System and the Health Department will be able to exchange clinical information on patients in real time, such as laboratory results, Continuity of Care documents and changes in patient events in admissions, transfers, and discharges.
The transferred data is valuable for providers and patients in making timely decisions, the health care company said.
Among the information provided is: conditions; vital signs; performed procedures; list of current medications; family and social history; treatment plan; and advanced guidelines, among others.
This interoperability platform has been used in all the hospital facilities of the Mennonite Health System in Aibonito, Cayey, Caguas, Guayama, Humacao and CIMA, as well as in its family health centers in Aguas Buenas, Cidra, Coamo, Comerío, Culebra and Yabucoa for about two years.
The Mennonite Health System and the Health Department have successfully collaborated in the Syndromic Surveillance Reporting process and continue to work to connect the Electronic Case Report and Immunization Registry Reporting, the hospital said.
The Mennonite Health System’s technological innovation project in recent years has represented an investment of more than $25 million, the company confirmed.
