Page last updated on July 24, 2017 at 3:42 pm
Bloomington Joins Health Information Exchange Pilot Program
Bloomington, IN -- Mayor Mark Kruzan announced today the City of Bloomington has joined forces with the Bloomington E-Health Collaborative (BEHC), Bloomington Hospital, Smithville Digital LLC and Indiana University to benefit the Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) Clinic and the BEHC's pioneering efforts in an innovative, health information exchange pilot project.
The goal of the collaboration is to establish a local health information exchange in the community in order to improve quality of care at a reasonable cost, provide enhanced access to health services, and increase operational efficiencies in the delivery of health services.
"This public, private, not-for-profit collaboration is an example of what can be achieved by working together," said Kruzan, who announced the intent for the partnership in his 2007 State of the City address.
"The community benefit of high-tech healthcare in the coming years will be profound. We're proud to support the efforts of the BEHC and are especially pleased that the VIM Clinic is at the heart of this collaborative effort."
The BEHC has recently overseen the installation of fiber, the lighting of that fiber and provision of bandwidth to the VIM Clinic facility. Fiber optic cable allow for much faster data exchange than traditional copper wiring in communications lines. The pilot project provides broadband connectivity to the VIM clinic and will serve as an e-health platform for the BEHC as it deploys a clinical messaging system and other e-health solutions into the clinic and beyond.
"This three-year pilot project will not only provide the VIM clinic with
Internet bandwidth, but will lay the groundwork for innovative advances in
healthcare in Bloomington and South-central Indiana,"
said Dr. Todd Rowland,
BEHC Executive Director.
Each of the community partners has contributed in various ways to this pilot project, including:
* The Volunteers in Medicine Clinic (VIM) of Monroe County
is the
recipient of free bandwidth and will be a pilot location for the BEHC's clinical
messaging pilot. According to VIM Executive Director, Elizabeth Sturgeon, "The
fact that Volunteers in Medicine has been included as part of the project speaks
volumes about the commitment this community has to providing access to
healthcare to its citizens. The technology allows us to be on the cutting edge
using electronic tools, such as clinical messaging, to improve the quality of
the healthcare service we provide. We are grateful to be a part of this
endeavor."
The Volunteers in Medicine clinic (www.vimmonroecounty.org) provides free primary and preventive medical care to residents of Monroe and Owen Counties who lack health insurance and the ability to pay for such services. The community-operated, community-owned and community- financed Volunteers in Medicine clinic is modeled after a national program with a history of success in other communities around the country. The clinic is located at 333 E. Miller Drive.
Contact: Elizabeth Sturgeon, Executive Director, 812.353.3202, esturgeon@vimmonroecounty.org
* The Bloomington E-Health Collaborative has provided
leadership locally
in e-health records and has pressed for innovative technology approaches in
local healthcare. The BEHC will deploy a clinical messaging system starting with
VIM clinic; this system is the heart of the pilot project. "The E-Health
Collaborative has been excited to be a part of this public/private collaboration
to provide an optical fiber connection to the Internet for the VIM clinic," Dr.
Rowland said. "This vital service allows the VIM clinic to be cost effective as
they venture into secure clinical messaging and electronic medical records."
The Bloomington E-Health Collaborative (http://behc.org) is a community-based organization leading the health information exchange (HIE) effort on behalf of healthcare stakeholders in Monroe and surrounding counties in South Central Indiana.
Contact: Todd Rowland, M.D., BEHC Executive Director, 812.353.4025, TRowlandMD@bloomhealth.org
* The City of Bloomington (bloomington.in.gov) has permitted
the BEHC to
use fiber from its fiber optic ring in downtown Bloomington, known as the BDU
%u2014 Bloomington Digital Underground %u2014 at no cost for this pilot-project
collaboration. City of Bloomington Information Technology Services Director Rick
Dietz explained, "We're thrilled to be a catalyst for the BEHC's efforts and to
have played a role in bringing a diverse set of partners to the table for this
pilot project. Although it is a pilot project, we hope it is just the beginning
of our collaboration with the BEHC and other partners in the application of our
community's rich technology resources to meet human needs."
Contact: Rick Dietz, ITS Director, 812-349-3485, dietzr@bloomington.in.gov
* Smithville Digital LLC is providing free Internet
bandwidth to the
BEHC and the VIM clinic as part of this collaboration, along with the use of
networking equipment and technical support. Cullen McCarty, President of
Smithville Digital, stated, "Smithville Digital is pleased to provide the
bandwidth necessary to make VIM a true state-of-the-art facility. Bloomington
has a growing and vibrant e-health community and VIM should be a part of that
community."
Smithville Digital (www.smithvilledigital.net) was formed as a spinoff of Smithville Telephone Company. Founded in 1922, Smithville Telephone has grown to be Indiana's largest independent telephone company. Smithville Telephone Company has expanded its services to include Smithville Digital as well as DSL services. The headquarters are located in Ellettsville,Ind.
Contact: Cullen McCarty, President, cullen@smithville.net
* Bloomington Hospital (www.bloomingtonhospital.org) owns
the building housing the VIM clinic at 333 E. Miller Drive and is providing
financial and implementation support for clinical messaging. Mark McMath,
Bloomington Hospital VP & CIO stated, "Bloomington Hospital is pleased to be
a part of this public/private partnership that is making the most advanced
communication technology available to the Volunteers in Medicine Clinic so they
can provide the highest quality, safest and most cost effective care to their
patients."
Contact: Mark W. McMath, VP CIO Bloomington Hospital, 812.353.9557 | mmcmath@bloomingtonhospital.org
* Indiana University (www.indiana.edu)
is providing
engineering assistance and operational support as needed
throughout the project. Dave Jent, Associate Vice President, Networks,
explained, "Indiana University is pleased to partner with the City of
Bloomington on the development of the BEHC pilot project at the VIM Clinic. The
University believes this extension of network connectivity will provide the
community with access to fundamental services and looks forward to a long-term
relationship with the City on this project."