Saint Luke’s Health System is the newest addition to the list of healthcare participants now sending and receiving patient data through the Kansas Health Information Network (KHIN). The faith-based, not-for-profit health system with a significant presence in Kansas and Missouri includes 16 hospitals and campuses, several primary and specialty care practices, inpatient and outpatient care, home care and hospice, and a life care senior living community.
“KHIN provides support for organizations tasked with connecting providers and patients, and we look forward to working with them as we provide the highest quality healthcare to our patients in Kansas and Missouri,” said Debe Gash, Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer for Saint Luke’s Health System.
The seamless transfer of patients’ health records among physicians, nurses and other healthcare providers reduces treatment delays, enhances clinical decision making, and improves care coordination. KHIN provides a longitudinal medical record that is electronically updated in near real-time. As patients move between healthcare providers, their medical records are electronically available to their physicians. As well, patients are empowered by having access to the same information through a free personal health record.
Laura McCrary, Ed.D, Executive Director, KHIN commends the effort to connect, “An integration project as sizable and intricate as one the size of Saint Luke’s Health System takes patience, persistence and an engaged team of executives and project managers. It is an honor to partner with a health system that touches as many lives as Saint Luke’s Health System and supports their mission to provide the very best patient care possible in the Kansas City area.”
Saint Luke’s joined the Kansas Health Information Network (KHIN) health information organization because of KHIN’s success as one of the longest-established HIE’s in the country and its association with the KAMMCO Network. Working with six other physician-led state HIEs, the KAMMCO network includes SHINE of Missouri, an HIE delivered in partnership with the Missouri State Medical Association
About Kansas Health Information Network (KHIN)
KHIN’s mission is to improve healthcare quality, coordination, and efficiency through the exchange of health information at the point of care utilizing a secure electronic network provided by a collaboration of healthcare organizations. KHIN is a provider-led 501(c)3. Its goals are to ensure providers, patients and communities have long-term access to cost-effective, sustainable health information exchange aligned with costs distributed across a broad user base. It also encourages and removes barriers so communities and regions can focus on quality improvement, patient-centered medical home and entrepreneurial strategies that affect local health outcomes.
About Saint Luke’s Health System
Saint Luke’s Health System consists of 16 hospitals and campuses, several primary and specialty care practices, and provides a range of inpatient, outpatient, and home care services. Founded as a faith-based, not-for-profit organization, Saint Luke’s mission includes a commitment to the highest levels of excellence in healthcare and the advancement of medical research and education. Saint Luke’s Health System is an aligned organization in which the physicians and hospitals assume responsibility for enhancing the physical, mental, and spiritual health of people in the Kansas City metropolitan area and the surrounding region.
About SHINE of Missouri
SHINE of Missouri is a physician-led health information exchange delivered in partnership with the Missouri State Medical Association (MSMA) and KAMMCO, offering a suite of health information technology tools to help health professionals share patient information while employing powerful analytic reports designed to help improve clinical outcomes, reduce inefficiencies, and positively impact patient safety. For more information visit www.shineofmissouri.com
