Georgia Health Information Network, the statewide health information exchange for Georgia, awarded a total of $500,000 to its members in 2017 to accelerate technology adoption and the electronic exchange of health information. This brings the total disbursed through GaHIN’s Intermediary Grant Program to $2.5 million over the past three years.

GaHIN’s Intermediary Grant Program helps Georgia's eligible providers and hospitals connect to the HIE so they can securely access and share patient information at the point of care. Intermediaries are hospital-based and regional HIEs that have direct technical interoperable connections to GaHIN. The program was funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, with the Georgia Department of Community Health passing the funds through to GaHIN to develop and execute the program.

GaHIN members receiving awards included Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Georgia Regional Academic Community Health Information Exchange and HealtHIE Georgia.

“These grants help medical practices throughout Georgia improve the quality of care they deliver while reducing costs by facilitating their ability to access and exchange patient information,” said Denise Hines, Executive Director of GaHIN. “We believe that it is critical for providers to be able to view comprehensive patient information, and to be able to share data not just within their local network, but across Georgia and adjoining states.”

GaHIN’s members include regional HIEs, hospital systems, physician groups and individual practitioners. GaHIN’s products, which are available at no cost to qualified healthcare professionals, include:

• GeorgiaDirect – gives providers a personalized email address that allows them to securely transmit patient health information to other authorized healthcare professionals; and

• Georgia ConnectedCare – an innovative technology solution that enables providers to securely access a patient’s complete health record through their electronic health record system.