PATIENT PRIVACY AND SECURITY IS OUR TOP PRIORITY
Does Connie replace EMRs?
No, Connie will not replace EMRs. Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) pull patient data from different healthcare providers to create a complete patient medical record and make it available to authorized care providers and patients.
If my EMR is connected with Connie do I still need to connect?
Yes. Connie has established connections with EMRs to support your connectivity, but you will still need to take steps to connect your practice through your EMR by first filling out Connie's Registration Form. By filling out this form, you will begin your connection with the Health Information Exchange and then be assigned an Account Manager to assist you through the connection process.
Why do we need an HIE when everyone’s on Epic?
There are more than 277 different EMRs in this state – and entire pockets of the healthcare ecosystem that are not on Epic. Without a functioning, sustainable HIE that all providers are required to participate in, data stays siloed and fragmented leading to skyrocketing costs, continued inequity in healthcare, and burnt-out clinicians. Connecting to Connie affords all providers the opportunity to have access to critical data on their patients which enables patients to have choice in their providers. Connecting to Connie enables independent practices to have access to the same data and information that their colleagues in large healthcare systems have.
I don’t have an EMR, do I still need to connect with Connie?
According to state statute section 126 on page 159 of the Senate Bill No. 1502 June Special Session, Public Act No. 17-2, each health care provider without an electronic health record system capable of connecting to and participating in the State-wide Health Information Exchange must be capable of sending and receiving secure messages that comply with the Direct Project specifications published by the federal Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. (For the mandate and full statutory requirement for Connecticut providers, please see C.G.S.A § 17b-59e)
Direct emails are provided to participating organizations that do not have an EMR system in place. Direct emails are a secured HIPAA-compliant method for exchanging protected health information that functions similarly to a regular email. During your connection process, a Connie Account Manager will assist you in setting up a Direct Messaging email to ensure compliance with the State-wide Health Information Exchange requirements.
How long will it take to get connected?
Connecting with Connie means sharing your patients’ demographic and clinical data. Organizations with an electronic medical record (EMR) system will connect with Connie via the EMR, while those without an EMR can meet the mandate by making sure they have a Direct Email address. See our EMR Dashboard to learn which EMRs are currently connected.
The amount of time it takes to complete your connection to Connie varies based on your EMR, your technical integration capabilities, and when you get in the queue. The process may be faster if your organization’s EMR is already connected. You can start the process today on our website, but please don’t delay! Your first step is to fill out Connie's Registration Form, which affirms your organization’s good faith commitment to starting the onboarding process.
Is my EMR already connected with Connie?
If your EMR is already connected to Connie, it could make the onboarding process even easier for you and potentially decrease implementation time. Currently, Connie is connected with several major EMRs including Cerner, Athena, Allscripts, and Epic, and always adding more! To see if your EMR is connected, check out our EMR Dashboard.
As more organizations connect, healthcare teams will be able to view clinical information across all healthcare settings, which will support care coordination no matter what EMR you use! Even if your practice is not connected to an EMR, you can still connect with Connie and meet the mandate.
What if my EMR is not listed on Connie’s Connected EMRs dashboard?
Connie has a technical integration team that is working with EMR/EHR vendors to facilitate data exchange with Connie. Where possible, we are also building EMR/EHR hubs that should make it more efficient and easier for provider organizations to be onboarded to Connie. Through our technical integration process, we will work with your vendor to identify the required data feeds to Connie. If your EMR vendor can’t support the development of those feeds, we will work with you to see if there are other ways to enable you to access our secure, clinical portal. If Connie can't establish connectivity with your EMR system, we will treat your organization as a provider without an electronic health record system.
How do I connect my organization with Connie?
If you are a healthcare organization and are interested in learning more about connecting with Connie, please call us at 1-888-783-4410 or fill out Connie's Registration Form.
How much does it cost to connect with Connie?
If you are a healthcare provider, there is no cost to participate with or receive data from Connie at this time. To participate with Connie, you are required to send clinical data that your EHR is capable of sending through integration with Connie. We will work with your EHR vendor to determine their integration capabilities. In some instances, there may be fees from your EHR vendor (or their integration partner).
Has anyone else connected with Connie?
When you connect with Connie, you are in good company with fellow healthcare providers and organizations! Check out our Connected Organizations dashboard to see a list of healthcare organizations you will be joining! Our list is always growing and includes labs, hospitals, and other healthcare providers.
What does it mean to be “Connected”?
These individual patient medical records include at a minimum: patient lists, patient demographic data, lab tests, imaging, diagnostic reports, diagnosis codes, and any patient-consented data for collaboration of care. All of these records comply with HIPAA, state, and federal protection laws for the privacy and security of patient data.
Providers can begin the connection process by setting up an infrastructure and establishing a technical connection with Connie. Please keep in mind that the data will not be sent immediately to the HIE, but should be ready once the organization or healthcare provider begins participating with Connie - this means the healthcare organization or provider will send and periodically update patient demographic and clinical data and access data through the HIE for patient care when appropriate.
Will Connie help me to connect?
Once the Commitment to Connect form is filled, your assigned account manager will collaborate with you on the next onboarding steps. Connie has a dedicated team of regional account managers to help you with anything from basic questions about Connie to answering technical questions during your connection process. To see our staff, check out our staff page!
Where can I see Connie’s Services?
You can view Connie's services here.
What is the state mandate?
The mandate requires that all healthcare providers in the state connect with and participate in the statewide HIE. If you are licensed by the state to provide health care services, you are required to connect with and participate in the HIE.
To review the mandate and full statutory requirement for Connecticut providers, please see C.G.S.A § 17b-59e.
Who needs to meet the mandate?
Any individual, corporation, facility, or institution licensed by the state of Connecticut to provide health care services needs to meet the mandate. This includes licensed healthcare providers, provider organizations, pharmacies, labs, and skilled nursing facilities.
What can I do to meet the mandate?
To meet the mandate, you will need to begin your connection with Connie. You can start this process by completing the Connie's Registration Form, which affirms your organization's good faith commitment to start the onboarding process.
When does the state mandate require health organizations to be connected?
According to Connecticut state statute, all licensed healthcare providers in the state of Connecticut were required to apply to begin the process of connecting to and participating in Connie by May 3, 2023. Providers and organizations who did not complete that application process by the deadline may still apply to begin the process. Once an organization has applied, an Account Manager will reach out to complete the next steps of the onboarding process.
Where can I find more information about the State mandate and Connie?
The Office of Health Strategy website has information about the statewide HIE and what it means to connect and participate with it: LINK HERE.
How do I inform my patients that I am participating in Connie?
You can inform patients that your organization participates with Connie by using our Communications Toolkit. The Toolkit contains downloadable resources including an NPP, messaging for patients, posters, social media blurbs, and more!
Can patients opt out of sharing information about medication history?
Yes, patients can opt out of Connie. If a patient opts out, they are opted out of every aspect of data sharing that is not otherwise required by law. Connie maintains a service to allow providers to view a patient’s Narx report from the state’s Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) from within the Connie portal. State law does not allow patients to opt out of the PMP.
Are there specific computer requirements for providers to access Connie?
There are no specific computer requirements to access Connie. Connie is accessible by any device that can access the internet.
Do providers need to revise their Notice of Privacy Practices?
It is recommended that you consult with legal counsel to determine any changes related to your notice of privacy practices. As a support to participating organizations, Connie provides an informational supplement that can be distributed with a provider’s notice of privacy practices that includes information about Connie.
How does Connie monitor user access?
Connie leverages a sophisticated access monitoring tool that flags and documents any usage outside of permitted purposes. When suspicious behavior is detected, Connie promptly notifies the provider organization per Connie's data-sharing agreement with participating organizations.