Improving Healthcare, Patient Safety in Michigan with Information Technology
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder Proclaims October 8-12 as Health IT Week
LANSING, Mich., October 3, 2018 — In today’s technologically advanced world, electronic health information has become a critical partner for providing optimal care. Sharing patient information in real-time helps healthcare providers coordinate care and gives easy access to the facts needed to give the best treatment. Electronic health information is saving lives.
To recognize the importance of health information technology (IT), Governor Rick Snyder has declared the week of October 8 as Health IT Week in Michigan. You can read the official proclamation here: https://mihin.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Health-IT-Week-in-Michigan.pdf
Health IT Week is being recognized in Michigan as part of U.S. National Health IT Week, “a nationwide awareness week focused on catalyzing actionable change within the U.S. health system through the application of information and technology.” You can learn more about the event at https://www.healthitweek.org/.
Michigan Succeeding with Health Information Technology
The Great Lakes State’s health information network is overseen by the Michigan Health Information Network Shared Services (MiHIN, pronounced “my hen”), and includes participants from across the healthcare spectrum such as physicians, physician organizations, pharmacies, hospitals, health insurance plans and the State of Michigan. These different organizations work closely to securely exchange and share patient information, to reduce burdens and costs for patients and healthcare providers.
Currently, the network connects more than 150 hospitals, 4,700 medical practices, 40,500 organizations and nearly 140,000 health care professionals. Together these multiple, varied organizations have exchanged more than two billion health information messages, at a rate of more than 17 million messages per week and growing steadily.
As the network grows, healthcare providers stay better-informed about latest developments with their patients, see what care decisions other physicians make for a patient, and work in tandem with a patient’s other doctors or specialists as an extended “care team.”
“With the support of the state government and our collaborative healthcare community, Michigan’s health information network is recognized throughout the country for our progress and achievements sharing health information,” said Marty Woodruff, Associate Executive Director of MiHIN. “It doesn’t matter which organization creates the information, it can now follow the patient to different participating physician offices and hospitals – wherever and whenever they need it.”
About Michigan Health Information Network Shared Services
The Michigan Health Information Network Shared Services (MiHIN) is Michigan’s state-designated entity to improve healthcare quality, efficiency, and patient safety by sharing electronic health information statewide, helping reduce costs for patients, providers, and payers. MiHIN is a nonprofit, public-private collaboration that includes stakeholders from the State of Michigan, Health Information Exchanges serving Michigan, health systems and providers, health plans/payers, pharmacies, and the Governor’s Health Information Technology Commission. For more information, visit https://mihin.org.
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