Partnership aims to make advancements in public health
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Health Information Exchange (IHIE), one of the largest health information exchange networks in the U.S., and the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH), are partnering on advancements in healthcare for Hoosiers and will present together at the Civitas Networks for Health Annual Conference Aug. 21 to Aug. 24 in San Antonio, Texas. Through their partnership, IHIE and IDOH want to make advancements in public health such as improving maternal and infant outcomes and diabetic care and continuing to collaborate on COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
“While IHIE has supported public health throughout its 18-year history, we’re now working more actively with the state,” said John Kansky, president and CEO of IHIE. “We appreciate the engagement of IDOH leadership, which will enable us to have more impact on health of Indiana citizens.”
IHIE and IDOH will present on an emerging concept in healthcare – health data utilities (HDU) – which are organizations that serve the health data or analysis needs of its state, both the private sector, such as healthcare providers, payers and employers, and state government. They will focus on how HDUs must have cooperative relationships with the state government and any other sector they serve. There are many organizations that exist around the country, including IHIE, that resemble the HDU model, so IHIE and IDOH will explore how they can benefit patients, healthcare organizations, the government and taxpayers.
“While we embrace the many gains in public health over the last century, future advancements depend on our ability to leverage data with a public health focus,” said Dr. Lindsay Weaver, chief medical officer at IDOH. “The Indiana Department of Health and IHIE share a vision for using data to inform work in health equity and disease surveillance, and we look forward to a continued collaboration that will enhance the delivery of public health services to Hoosiers.”
The four-day conference will include nationally recognized healthcare thought leaders and bring together peers from across the country to connect, share experiences and learn – together. More information about the conference can be found here.