A pilot program to begin the secure exchange of information, commonly referred to as a Health Information Exchange (HIT), has been launched in the Virgin Islands, according to a press release issued on Thursday by the V.I. Department of Health.
The pilot program, which will kick off on Monday, June 24, and continue through Sept. 30, is designed to enable simple and secure communications between all healthcare providers, improving quality of care by allowing for the immediate exchange of all types of healthcare information.
Health Commissioner Darice Plaskett lauded the pilot launch and the work of the HIT Division in reaching this milestone.
“We are pleased that the Department of Health, on behalf of the Government of the Virgin Islands, will be offering healthcare providers in the territory the direct secure messaging solution, which will enable the efficient and secure flow of health information from electronic health records between local healthcare providers as well as to the rest of the national health care system,” Plaskett said.
Providers can participate in the pilot program for electronic health record exchange even if they do not have an E.H.R. in use at their practice, according to Kevin Hodge, the Department’s HIT director.
“At the end of the pilot program, participation will be open to all providers,” Hodge said, adding that the territory expects to have at least 99 percent of providers enrolled or all health care facilities connected within two years.
The direct secure messaging product is being provided by Secure Exchange Solutions (SES), a certified health information services provider and the same company which worked with DOH to co-host a five-part series webinar last year on its direct methodology, a nationally recognized standard for exchange of health information. The webinars are available at www.healthvi.org/hie.
Dan Kazzaz, CEO of Secure Exchange Solutions, who is working with DOH on the pilot launch, said, “with direct, Virgin Islands providers can now exchange healthcare information faster, optimize both transitions of care and referrals, and lower operating costs.”
For more information on the pilot program for secure data exchange, e-mail [email protected]