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Governor Steve Beshear's Communications Office
Gov. Beshear Announces Launch of Kentucky Health Information Exchange
Seven Pilot Sites Across State Join Network
FRANKFORT, Ky. – Governor Steve Beshear joined federal officials today to announce that Kentucky has achieved a major milestone in its health information exchange efforts with the official launch of the Kentucky Health Information Exchange (KHIE). Six pilot hospitals and one clinic are participating in the exchange.
“Kentucky is on the cutting edge of the health information exchange movement, and we’re working hard every day to build a statewide, interoperable network of health care providers,” said Gov. Beshear. “I commend the staff at the cabinet for their hard work on this project, and these seven providers for joining the Kentucky Health Information Exchange. This is a positive step toward improving efficiency and accuracy within our health care system and providing better health care to Kentuckians.”
The project, funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services through its Medicaid Transformation Grant program, allows the Kentucky Department for Medicaid Services (DMS) to begin exchanging information with hospitals and clinics as the first step in creating a statewide network. The KHIE will help Kentucky advance health information technology and the electronic exchange of health information to coordinate care, deliver care more efficiently and improve patient care and health. The seven participating providers—Appalachian Regional HealthCare, Central Baptist Hospital, Pikeville Medical Center, St. Joseph Hospital, Trover Medical Clinic, University of Kentucky Hospital and the University of Louisville Hospital—were selected by CHFS based on technological readiness, volume of Medicaid patients and referral patterns.
“Modernizing our health care system and becoming more efficient in meeting the patient’s needs is imperative to our success,” said Lt. Governor Daniel Mongiardo. “Kentucky can be a national model and lead the way. This is something I’ve been working on since coming into office because I know it can work and save lives.”
“This is an important step as we move forward in building the Kentucky Health Information Exchange,” said CHFS Secretary Janie Miller. “By working through Medicaid, which provides health coverage for more than 790,000 Kentuckians, we are able to begin to establish a system that will help us find ways to use the resulting data to improve quality and reduce costs. This establishes a framework to expand the health information exchange to all health care providers and facilities around the state. Implementation of this initiative places Kentucky at the forefront of states engaged in the transformation process.”
The project will create a method for doctors and other authorized clinicians to access information about a patient's medical history, including data about prescriptions, previous treatment, lab and diagnostic test results, immunizations and other basic patient information. CHFS has been working to build a secure system that providers will use to share data with Medicaid and one another, creating different levels of connectivity from basic to more advanced that can be scaled to meet the needs of medical providers at different stages of adopting HIE technology. The cabinet will also work to bring other hospitals and providers on board in the months and years ahead.
“The ability to exchange electronic health information will dramatically improve the quality of care for Medicaid patients across the Commonwealth,” said DMS Commissioner Elizabeth Johnson. “By reducing the number of duplicative tests and treatments, it also means a reduction in costs.”
The $4.9 million Medicaid Transformation Grant was awarded to Kentucky by the federal Department for Health and Human Services (HHS) in 2007 to improve Medicaid efficiency, economy and quality of care using technology.
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