Optum

Omaha, NE, December 5, 2011 - The Nebraska Health Information Initiative (NeHII), Nebraska's statewide Health Information Exchange (HIE) announced today that physicians participating in the exchange will have access to electronically share patient immunization information to NESIIS, the Nebraska State Immunization Information System.

The Nebraska State Immunization Information System is a secure, statewide, web-based system that connects and shares immunization information among public clinics, private provider offices, local health departments, schools, hospitals and other health care facilities that administer immunizations and provide medical care to Nebraska residents.

Immunization information is currently shared among physicians using NeHII. Integrating NESIIS into the exchange, will further improve the ability of public health practitioners, planners and clinicians in preventing the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases. The increased exchange of immunization information is expected to result in more accurate and up-to-date immunization records, and state officials expect the continued growth of information exchange to improve issues related to missed immunizations and over-immunization.

Dr. Joann Schaefer, Chief Medical Officer for the State of Nebraska, Department of Public Health said, "This is not only a step in proving the value of electronic health information sharing but it is going to improve our vaccination rates and save more lives over time."

The exchange of information between NeHII and NESIIS will further current national goals for increased consumer engagement through health information technology. According to the National Coordinator for Health IT Farzad Mostashari, improving patient access to health information will be a critical part of consumer engagement in Health IT. NESIIS provides patients with secure online access to their immunization records, and the addition of patient data from NeHII is expected to increase the quality and quantity of their information.

 

NeHII Executive Director Deb Bass said, "We have worked diligently to offer this functionality through NeHII. We are excited to announce yet another opportunity to demonstrate the value of health information exchange."

 

A later phase will involve securely sending statewide immunization data from NESIIS to NeHII. At that time, the full range of statewide immunization data will be accessible to participating physicians through NeHII's Virtual Health Record.

Powered by the Optum HIE platform from OptumInsight, NeHII electronically delivers clinical information to the point of care, integrating a wide variety of patient clinical data including laboratory results, ER reports, discharge summaries, radiology reports, progress notes, transcription, medications and other medical information. NeHII is the first to go live with the Optum Immunization Gateway.

About NeHII:
As an early adopter and national leader for Health Information Exchange, NeHII, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization has functioned as a public-private collaborative that currently reaches nearly 85 percent of lives in Nebraska and a substantial number of individuals in Nebraska's six border states. NeHII's vision is to be a leader in the secure exchange of health information, enabling a healthier Nebraska.