New Bedford, Mass.-based Southcoast Health System joined Department of Veterans Affairs health information exchange program to streamline the sharing of patients' medical records between the two organizations, according to a Nov. 8 Taunton Daily Gazette report.
Southcoast Health clinicians who treat veterans at one of the health system's urgent clinics, hospital emergency departments or hospitals can now access veteran patients' health records via the HIE. Southcoast Health is one of four health systems in Massachusetts participating in the HIE, according to the report.
By sharing patients' health records, Southcoast Health and VA help cut costs by eliminating unnecessary duplication of lab tests and imaging. The partnership, which began in April, has supported the sharing of an estimated 400 medical records between Southcoast Health and VA.
Southcoast Health implemented an Epic EHR five years ago, and since then has invested more than $100 million in the system. The health system comprises three hospitals and various urgent care centers throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island.