Maryland's Three Largest Hospital Systems and Erickson Retirement Communities Collaborate on Health Information Exchange

2008-05-21 01:37:46 -

- Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley has announced that a joint venture of Erickson Retirement Communities, Johns Hopkins Medicine, MedStar Health, and the University of Maryland Medical System has won the support of the Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) to plan for the state-wide Health Information Exchange.

CRISP (Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients), a non-profit joint venture formed by the four partner organizations, will be supported with $250,000 from the Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC) funded through the hospital rate setting system. It will develop recommendations on a broad range of policies, principles, and designs for the secure exchange of patient information across multiple provider settings.

"Our team is thrilled to work with the Maryland Health Care Commission and all healthcare stakeholders throughout Maryland to put innovative technology to work for improving our patients' care," said John C. Erickson, Chairman and CEO of Erickson Retirement Communities. "CRISP is another stride towards establishing Maryland as a leader in American healthcare--I applaud the leadership at our hospital partners and in State government for their vision."

Benefits of Health Information Exchange the exchange include improved turnaround times for retrieval of current patient data, reduction in redundant or unnecessary paperwork, and minimization of adverse drug interactions and allergies. Over time, these benefit lead to improved outcomes and lower costs. CRISP will also seek to develop robust framework for ensuring each participating patient's privacy and security.

The joint venture grew out of conversations in 2006 among the four partner organizations about how to leverage technology to improve the quality of care for Maryland patients. A number of other stakeholders have agreed to participate in the CRISP initiative, including:

Consulting Partners

-- Audacious Inquiry

-- Dynamed Solutions

-- Ober/Kaler

Technology Partners

-- GE Healthcare

-- Microsoft

-- HealthUnity

Other Participants

-- The Summit Health Institute for Research and Education, Inc.

-- Baltimore Medical System

-- The Shepherd's Clinic

Erickson Retirement Communities
Mel Tansill
Senior Director of Corporate Public Affairs
410-402-2006