COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – June 23, 2015 – Community Health Partnership (CHP), a coalition of more than 25 provider organizations in southern Colorado, announced today that it has signed an agreement to connect to the CORHIO (Colorado Regional Health Information Organization) health information exchange (HIE) network.

CHP includes some of the largest health care provider organizations in Colorado Springs and the greater Pikes Peak region, and collectively provides care to more than 143,000 patients. CHP will begin the process of connecting its members’ electronic health record (EHR) systems to the CORHIO network starting next month.

By connecting CHP members to the statewide HIE network, which will include bi-directional data exchange, health care providers participating in the coalition will have faster and more complete access to their patients’ most critical health information. The enhanced information access will improve patients’ care coordination, reduce treatment delays, eliminate unnecessary testing and allow care providers to make more targeted diagnoses and treatment recommendations.

Additionally, CORHIO will provide CHP with data to enable enhanced clinical reporting that will improve population health analysis, patient outcomes and success with health care quality initiatives such as accountable care and medical home programs.

“This agreement with CORHIO will enable CHP to move forward with our mission of connecting the members of our community to a more accessible and complete patient health record,” said Carol Bruce-Fritz, chief executive officer for CHP. “Sharing information among health care providers is fundamental to providing the highest quality of care for our citizens.”

“We are excited to begin leveraging CORHIO’s services to enhance our care management processes and reduce costs associated with chronic conditions,” added Jim Calanni, program director at CHP. “I am thrilled to be leading CHP’s technology initiatives along with our project manager, Ed Daniels.”

The CORHIO HIE is a secure, statewide network for information exchange comprised of 48 hospitals, more than 2,600 providers, 131 long-term care facilities, 39 behavioral health centers, four large medical laboratories, emergency medical services (EMS) providers, the Colorado Springs Military Health System and the state health department. The network continues to expand and is in the process of adding an additional 11 hospitals, more than 400 medical clinics, 2 medical labs, 12 radiology centers and a handful of long-term care facilities.

“We enthusiastically support CHP’s vision of higher quality, better coordinated care for individuals living in southern Colorado,” said Morgan Honea, chief executive officer at CORHIO. “CHP is among the most ambitious health care coalitions in the state — they are implementing state-of-the-art technology that will significantly improve collaboration among providers in their area. Ultimately, this will improve patient outcomes and reduce overall health care costs for everyone.”

About Community Health Partnership (CHP)
CHP is a member-based community coalition who’s enduring purpose is to improve the health of the community through collaboration. CHP members know each other well, are open to new ways of working together and are not afraid to take chances. The coalition is built on a foundation of trust and respect aligned with mutual values and goals.

About CORHIO
CORHIO is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality for all Coloradans through health information technology and health information exchange (HIE). CORHIO collaborates with all health care stakeholders including physicians, hospitals, clinics, public health, long-term care, laboratories, imaging centers, health plans and patients to improve care coordination through secure systems and processes for sharing clinical information. For more information about CORHIO, please visit www.corhio.org.
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