Maryland health care officials have launched the state's health information exchange, the Baltimore Business Journal reports.
The system enables the exchange of medical information among:
- Clinics;
- Hospitals;
- Laboratories;
- Physician practices;
- Radiology centers; and
- Other health care groups (Mullin, Baltimore Business Journal, 10/12).
The not-for-profit Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients set up the exchange (Walker, "Picture of Health," Baltimore Sun, 10/13). CRISP received nearly $10 million from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT to establish the network (LaFave Grace, Modern Healthcare, 10/13).
The first medical facilities that are using the exchange are in Montgomery County (Baltimore Business Journal, 10/12). The state's 48 hospitals have committed to participating in the exchange.
In addition, federally qualified health clinics -- which primarily serve Medicaid, uninsured and other underserved patients -- are expected to join the network by the end of the year (Monegain, Healthcare IT News, 10/13).