CORHIO Participants Exceed 40,000 Immunizations Reported to CIIS Using HIE

Colorado providers are streamlining required immunization reporting to the state immunization registry (CIIS) and meeting Meaningful Use public health objective.

Each child born in Colorado needs 18 to 23 immunizations before age six, which creates complicated immunization records for providers to keep track of. Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS) is the statewide immunization registry that collects, consolidates and disseminates this vast amount of immunization information in Colorado. CIIS enables any immunization provider in Colorado to electronically track immunizations a person has received either by manually entering the patient’s data into the CIIS Web application or by interfacing their electronic health record (EHR) system with CIIS. This allows providers to contribute to an ongoing and complete record to ensure their patients receive all recommended shots in a timely manner.

Meaningful Use Immunization Registry Requirement

The public health Meaningful Use immunization reporting objective is required under Stage 2 for all eligible professionals (EPs) and eligible hospitals (EHs) that administer immunizations in their facilities. The immunization registry measure has also changed under Stage 2; instead of submitting a test file to CIIS, EPs and EHs must achieve ongoing submission of electronic immunization data from their EHR systems to CIIS. Ongoing submission is broadly defined under Stage 2 to also include: (1) awaiting invitation from CIIS to begin an interface project, and (2) testing and validation of an interface to CIIS. If the provider is ready to submit immunization data, but CIIS or the EHR vendor does not have the resources to immediately perform the necessary validation, the provider will be placed on a wait list. As long as they have registered their Stage 2 intent with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) for the immunization reporting objective, providers placed in the queue can still attest for Meaningful Use Stage 2.

Another option is for providers to send data to CIIS through the secure CORHIO network. This will help providers who want to meet the public health measure of Meaningful Use Stage 2, providing the data originates from their certified EHR. Pueblo Community Health Center is using the CORHIO connection to CIIS and to date, has sent more than 22,000 administered immunizations for 10,671 patients to CIIS through the CORHIO interface.

“The CORHIO interface to CIIS has saved Pueblo Community Health Center staff approximately two hours a day and led to greater efficiency. We no longer have to enter immunizations manually into CIIS,” says Chad Hess, RN, PA-C, director of nursing services, Pueblo Community Health Center. “And the process of testing and verifying accuracy of immunizations received into CIIS was not labor intensive.”

Successful Interfaces to Date

Five hospitals or systems in the state are currently in the process of testing their immunization registry interface to CDPHE through CORHIO, including Banner Health, Boulder Community Hospital, Centura Health, Longmont United Hospital and University of Colorado Hospital.

Six providers in the state are successfully sending immunization data to CDPHE through CORHIO:

1. Castle Valley Children's Clinic
2. Dr. Mark W. Hinman
3. Greenwood Pediatrics
4. Hilltop Family Physicians
5. Pueblo Community Health Center
6. The Pediatric Center

There are several more providers in the process of implementing their immunization interface to CIIS through CORHIO.

“CORHIO lightens our load and helps us focus on other important tasks. Interface work is not all that we do, so if we can offload interoperability on CORHIO, we can focus more energy on other programmatic priorities,” says Heather Shull, program manager for Colorado Immunization Information System.

For guidance on your questions related to Meaningful Use public health requirements, contact cdphe_mu@state.co.us. To learn your options for connecting to CIIS through CORHIO, please contact us at info@corhio.org.