Kaiser Permanente Colorado, State’s Largest Nonprofit Health Plan, Joins CORHIO

Kaiser Permanente Colorado officially joins the CORHIO health information exchange network, giving their providers access to clinical information on members who receive care outside of the plan’s centralized network.

Kaiser Permanente Colorado has signed an agreement to participate in CORHIO’s health information exchange (HIE) network. Participation in the CORHIO HIE provides Kaiser Permanente’s physicians and other clinical caregivers with additional information on their members when care is provided outside of the health plan’s centralized network.

“Kaiser Permanente is one of Colorado’s largest health care organizations and we are delighted to be working with them to further enhance care coordination for their members,” says Kelly Joines, interim chief executive officer at CORHIO. “Kaiser Permanente clearly knows the importance of equipping doctors and other care providers with patients’ most up-to-date medical information. It dramatically improves the overall patient experience and ensures that individuals are getting the best possible care.”

Initial Plans to Begin in Southern Colorado

Kaiser Permanente plans to initially utilize the HIE information for members in southern Colorado, including Colorado Springs and Pueblo, and hopes to later expand to other parts of the state. The organization had previously participated in a more limited health information exchange pilot project with CORHIO, funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, to share information among emergency departments. In 2010, the pilot project was transformed into a broader HIE network that enables better care coordination across all health care settings.

“This partnership with CORHIO will serve as a valuable addition to Kaiser Permanente’s robust system of electronic medical records, allowing for enhanced care coordination and communication between our providers and partner hospitals in southern Colorado,” says Donna Lynne, DrPH, executive vice president of Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and Health Plan, Inc. and president of Kaiser Permanente Colorado.