Visit www.conniect.org/contact or call (888) 783-4410 for more information.

 

 

Following its launch this month, Connie, Connecticut’s designated Health Information System (HIE), is now making headway connecting the state’s health care organizations. Connie will provide an upgrade in health care for CT residents and providers alike.

More than 60 health care organizations are already committed partners with Connie, to provide their patients with a reliable, safe way to share medical history among all of their providers. In addition, Connie is currently processing over 30 additional connection inquiries and expects to connect with Yale New Haven Health and Hartford Health later this month.

Connie aims to provide its participating organizations with all the benefits of an HIE:

  • Real-time clinical information sharing across all healthcare settings
  • Support for care coordination among healthcare providers
  • The ability to reduce preventable costs associated with readmissions, duplicative testing, and errors
  • Support for public health reporting, research, and population health analytics
  • Adherence to and the promotion of standards and interoperability

“Connecticut is now officially on the path that 45 other states have already traveled, with a more effective healthcare data delivery model to show for it,” OHS Executive Director Vicki Veltri said, “Reliable information that is accessible in real time is critical for good healthcare; the exchange will now help providers get patient information quickly to improve care, reduce redundant testing, and lower overall healthcare costs.”

Allowing health care providers to see patient medical information securely and quickly through Connie enables these benefits in health care delivery, quality, safety, and value for Connecticut health care organizations, providers, and residents.

“At its center, Connie is about patients receiving the best possible healthcare, by delivering continuity in medical information, and providing secure, timely treatment when they need it, and where they need it,” said Jenn Searls, Executive Director of Connie. “As healthcare providers and their patients know all too well, limited health information at the point-of-care has been an obstacle to better patient care, better outcomes, and a more efficient healthcare system. By bridging the information gap and opening a channel to exchange valuable health information in real time, Connie overcomes that obstacle — ultimately improving the healthcare experience and outcomes for patients and providers.”

The May 3 launch also signaled the legislative mandate for all CT health care entities to connect with Connie and acquire the technical capability of sharing clinical data in a secure manner with authorized users. As of May 3, all Connecticut hospitals and labs have one year to begin connecting with Connie; all other healthcare providers have two years.

Connie has technical assistance funds available for up to $25,000 for providers and up to $75,000 for hospitals to help offset connection costs. These funds, however, have an expiry date and will no longer be available as of September 30, 2021. Health care organizations interested in connecting with Connie and receiving technical assistance funds should visit www.conniect.org/contact or call (888) 783-4410.

For more information about Connie, visit conniect.org, or follow its progress on TwitterFacebook, or Instagram.

 
 
 
This article is featured in the June 2021 OHS Newsletter