Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO)

CHIC is the lead agency for the RHIO project in Northeastern Minnesota. The project is based on a vision to provide secured access to electronic health records through the region and across the healthcare spectrum. We will assist to create the necessary technological infrastructure within the region, develop processes to effectively use electronic health records (EHR) within and between healthcare organizations, and engage all stakeholders with special focus on rural providers.

The project currently focuses on Phase I activities that include:

• Conduct a market assessment, assessing community readiness for health information exchange. This assessment tool will be dynamic, web-based and allow for organizations to update as their IT capability and EHR usage change.
• Develop an implementation plan for the remaining phases that identifies the costs related to designing, developing, implementing and supporting the on-going operations of the health information exchange environment.
• Create a model that demonstrates the value and benefits of the health information exchange capability and related services, for specific stakeholders, including purchasers, payers, practicing physicians, hospitals and laboratories within the market. This web-based assessment tool would be dynamic and allow for organizations to tailor it to develop an accurate cost/benefit analysis.

Partners and members providing leadership through an initiative steering committee include:

• County Public Health agencies represented by Julie Myhre, Director, Community Health Board representing Local Public Health and Human Services in Carlton, Cook, Lake and St. Louis Counties (MN)
• SISU Medical Systems, a consortium of medical centers in northern Minnesota working together to share information technology resources, represented by Mark Schmidt, Chief Information Officer;
• St. Luke's Health System, a non-profit health system of a hospital, regional trauma center and 25 clinic serving regions of three states, represented by Clark Averill, Information Technology Director;
• St. Mary's Duluth Clinic Health Systems, a non-profit health system of 4 hospitals and 18 clinics serving regions of three states, represented by Tess Settergren, Clinical Informaticist;
• College of St. Scholastica's Center for Leadership and Innovation in Healthcare, a non-profit organization, extending the College's current leadership in the positive transformation of the nation's healthcare through education, community partnerships, policy formation, and applied research. St. Scholastica is a national leader in health informatics education. The Center is represented by Melinda Machones, Director of Projects; and Pam Oaches, HIM Faculty; and
• Iron Range Resources, a state agency developed to strengthen NE MN, represented by Richard Walsh, Development Strategies Coordinator.
   

Committee Minutes:

coming soon...

Policy Group	Technical Group	Work Group

Press Releases:

Blandin Foundation

Additional Website Links:

CHIC-RHIO Website

Minnesota E-Health Initiative