Patient Data From Pagosa Springs Medical Center Now Available to Community Providers

Providers in Colorado who are participating in the CORHIO health information exchange network now have access to patient data from Pagosa Springs Medical Center, enabling better patient care coordination.

Pagosa Springs Medical Center, a busy critical access hospital approximately an hour east of Durango, is sending patient records into the CORHIO health information exchange (HIE). The data is available immediately to any participating provider in the Community Health Record within CORHIO’s PatientCare 360® tool. This enhanced information flow is particularly beneficial for communication between Durango and Pagosa Springs providers and supports specialty care and referral networks in the area.

“Pagosa Springs Medical Center is very pleased to become a data sender to the CORHIO HIE. Immediate access to healthcare information when it’s needed most, increases patient safety and reduces unnecessary tests,” says Susan Schmidt, Informatics Manager, Pagosa Springs Medical Center. “We are excited to join the ranks of participating Colorado healthcare providers to offer this invaluable service to help our patients.”

Valuable ER and Lab Data
When built in 2008, Pagosa Springs Medical Center filled a void in the area for a much-needed fully equipped hospital with emergency care and in-house diagnostic testing. With more than 6,500 emergency department visits a year, the medical center has become a vital healthcare hub in the area. Area providers on the CORHIO network will now have access to this volume of patient admission, discharge and transfer data so they can better understand patients’ medical conditions and history. 

Before the hospital had full diagnostic testing equipment, area residents often had to go to Durango for tests that are now done at the hospital. Now close to 43,000 outpatient labs are performed each year within the hospital network. At this time, laboratory data from the hospital is being sent into the HIE, with radiology reports, transcription notes and pathology results available soon.

Beneficiary of Federal Grant
As part of a federal grant with Mercy Regional Medical Center that provided capital support for providers to connect their systems to a health information exchange, Pagosa Springs Medical Center was able to participate in CORHIO without cost.

“I am thrilled to see this vital hospital in Pagosa Springs as our newest data senders into CORHIO. This contributes to the vision of the HRSA HIE grant awarded to Mercy Regional Medical Center,” says Scott Wallace, CORHIO Outreach Manager. “Setting up effective health information technology takes time and effort by everyone involved. I am proud to have played a part in making this data available to community providers.”