DHIN Welcomes Cecil County’s Union Hospital
Good Healthcare Knows No Borders:
Interstate Exchange of Health Information Benefits Patients
Dover, DE — April 14, 2015 — Delaware residents who seek medical care across state lines at Elkton’s Union Hospital can rest a little easier, knowing both their Maryland and Delaware healthcare teams will have safe and secure access to the medical information they need to make timely, informed treatment decisions. The availability of this critical information through the Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN) supports the continuity of a patient’s care and can help prevent stressful, costly readmissions.
Union Hospital is now delivering medical results and reports on Delaware patients to Delaware’s community health record, which ensures safe and secure delivery of this information to healthcare providers. The exchange allows for the patient’s “home” healthcare team to have direct access to the results of any tests or procedures conducted by the care team at Union, helping to create a more complete health record on DHIN.
Sharing this information across state borders helps to reduce costs, save time and improve care by reducing the number of unnecessary and duplicative tests. The system also provides a robust platform for care teams to better coordinate care plans on their shared patients.
“The seamless communication achieved through partnerships like these is key to improving care and reducing healthcare costs,” said Jan Lee, MD, DHIN CEO. “Patients who do not receive timely post-treatment care are at an increased risk of a return visit to the hospital sooner rather than later.”
Immediate access to a patient’s medical history is invaluable, particularly in an emergency, said Kenneth Lewis, MD, JD, Union Hospital President & CEO. “Union Hospital’s collaboration with DHIN is an integral part of our ongoing commitment to provide safe, high-quality health and wellness services.”
Union Hospital is the second Maryland facility to join the DHIN, following the launch of Berlin-based Atlantic General Hospital in 2013.
Additionally, DHIN currently receives high-level data – admission, discharge and transfer summaries – for Delaware patients seen at any Maryland hospital from CRISP (the Chesapeake Regional Information System for Our Patients), DHIN’s health information exchange counterpart in Maryland. The same information for hospitals in the District of Columbia is coming soon.
About DHIN
DHIN, the Delaware Health Information Network, is the first live, statewide health information exchange in the nation. Launched in 2007, today, it serves all of Delaware’s acute care hospitals and approaching 100% of the state’s medical providers. More than 14,000,000 deliveries of clinical results and reports are made through DHIN each year. There are a total of 1.9 million unique patients with results on DHIN, including patients from all 50 states. DHIN is sharing real-time clinical information to improve patient outcomes, eliminate the duplication of service and reduce the cost of healthcare. For more information about DHIN visit www.DHIN.org or call 302-678-0220. Please also visit us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (@DHIN_hie).
About Union Hospital
Union Hospital is an award-winning, full-service community hospital located in Elkton, Maryland. Nationally recognized for clinical excellence in the treatment and prevention of disease, its 122-bed, not-for-profit facility is dedicated to providing superior, personalized, quality health care to its neighbors, families and friends. The Hospital’s mission is to enhance the health and well-being of residents in Cecil County and neighboring communities. Its services combine the latest technology with the warm, personal touch patients expect from a community hospital. Union Hospital has served the residents of Cecil County and the neighboring communities in Delaware and southern Pennsylvania since 1908. For more information, go to: www.uhcc.com.
