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Innovation Valley
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 22, 2006 CONTACT: Alan Hill Innovation Valley Health Information Network (865) 522-0360 Jennifer Wiggins AkinsCrisp Public Strategies (865) 680-1457 Event Hosted by Innovation Valley Health Information Network and Local Leaders KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – As part of his focus on improving America’s health care system, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D., (R-Tenn.) met with health care leaders in Knoxville today to discuss e-health initiatives. The meeting included local consumer and patient advocates, business representatives, elected officials and health care providers. Also in attendance were representatives from Governor Bredesen’s E-Health Council and other regional health information organizations (RHIO) from across the state. In November, the Senate unanimously passed the Wired for Health Care Quality Act. Frist coauthored the bipartisan legislation creating a secure, interoperable health information technology (IT) infrastructure that, in conjunction with the quality measurement system established in the bill, will help reduce costs, enhance efficiency and improve overall patient care. “Electronic medical records can protect patient privacy, improve health care quality, promote the secure exchange of lifesaving information and integrate health care quality standards with information technology,” said Frist. “Health information technology also reduces medical errors, waste, inefficiency and costs. Better utilizing this technology is an essential advance to create a truly patient-centered health care system. I’m pleased Tennessee is a national leader in this arena.” In addition to hearing Frist’s perspective on health care reform, the event, hosted by the Innovation Valley Health Information Network (IVhin), provided an opportunity for Frist to learn more about the IVhin national demonstration program underway in the Knoxville region and funded by the Patient Safety Institute of Plano, Texas. “IVhin will enable patients to have their current and historic medical information immediately available to health providers at the point of care regardless of what hospital or medical facility they are being treated at,” said Alan Hill, executive director of IVhin and moderator of the event. “The model being tested in East Tennessee will be implemented over the next two years, then become a national model for effective, scalable regional health information networks.” Organizations represented at the roundtable discussion included: Baptist Health System, Covenant Health, St. Mary’s Health System, University Health System, Summit Medical Group, the Knoxville Academy of Medicine, Team Health, Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership, the Tennessee Valley Authority, United Way of Greater Knoxville, Hillcrest Healthcare, City of Knoxville, Knox County Public Health Department, the Tennessee Medical Association, CareSpark, the State of Tennessee eHealth Advisory Council, MidSouth eHealth Initiative and the Cook County (IL) Bureau of Health Services. “With numerous programs, including IVhin, being tested across the state, the governor created an eHealth council to coordinate efforts to achieve the common goal of sharing electronic medical records. This roundtable discussion brought representatives from the state group together, along with hospitals, patient advocates, consumers and others, such as the United Way, who need to be involved and aware of the various programs,” said Hill. Hill added that having Senator Frist here allows IVhin to share nationally the progress they are making on the healthcare front in Tennessee. “The PSI model being used by IVhin requires involvement of all affected communities, and includes physicians and consumers in the decision making process. We strongly emphasize patient privacy and security. By helping the various medical organizations share patient data under these conditions, we know that lives will be saved, patients will receive better care and healthcare costs will go down,” said Johnny Walker, chief executive officer of PSI. “Today’s roundtable gets us closer to achieving these goals by allowing a more informal environment for questions and ideas to be discussed.” Walker explained that IVhin and Knoxville were chosen in a national competition because East Tennessee has a proven track record of innovation - demonstrating successful ventures that turn into national solutions. “We were impressed that multiple stakeholders were already working together and that there was widespread support for technology-based solutions and unique approaches,” said Walker. “Senator Frist’s visit reinforces that we made the right choice in East Tennessee.” This is the second in a series of community meetings hosted by IVhin to share healthcare solutions in Tennessee. Last month, IVhin held community briefings in Knoxville and Oak Ridge to discuss its program and the overall healthcare needs in the state. “Last month, we officially introduced our board of directors and began our local outreach and education efforts,” said David Gerkin, M.D. and IVhin board member. “We know our healthcare situation is not something that a few groups can solve on their own. It's going to take the support of everyone in the healthcare loop-from the patient to the pharmacy to the hospital and doctor's office to the insurance carriers-to make it work. We have a model and an idea to test with IVhin, but in order to perfect the idea and make it work for everyone, we need to get people involved, get feedback and work together.” IVhin is a three-phase program that was launched in January 2006. Phase one, which is nearly completed, includes the technical planning and design, the formation of the IVhin board of directors, approaching community stakeholders, and gaining community involvement with the project. Phase two will expand the system to patients and providers throughout the 16-county Knoxville/Oak Ridge Innovation Valley. It is expected to begin in the Fourth Quarter of 2006 and run for about two years. The third phase is the continuation and expansion of the network as an active, on-going, financially sustained network. For more information about the Innovation Valley Health Information Network, call (865) 522-0360 or visit www.ivhin.org. -END- 
Complete List of Roundtable Attendees Attached A Tennessee Demonstration: The Future of Healthcare Through the Power of IT Roundtable Participants: Don Alexander, M.D. CEO, Tennessee Medical Association Sondra Bridgford CEO, Knoxville Academy of Medicine Roger Brooksbank, M.D. Regional Medical Director, Team Health Dennis Corley CTO, Technology 2020 Donna Deichert Vice President Community Impact, United Way of Greater Knoxville Gary Eastes Risk/Benefits Manager, City of Knoxville Vicki Estrin Program Manager, Mid-South eHealth Initiative Buddy Fain CIO, University Health System Mark Field VP of Membership, Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership Sen. Bill Frist, M.D. United States Senate Majority Leader David Gerkin, M.D. CMO, Tennessee Valley Eye Center Henrietta Grant Community Volunteer Alan Hill Executive Director, Innovation Valley Health Information Network Liesa Jenkins Executive Director, CareSpark Mark Miller Deputy Director, Knox County Health Department Sonya Lay Vice President of Development, Hillcrest Healthcare Chester Maze CIO, Baptist Health System James McTyre Pastor, Lake Hills Presbyterian Church Gary Napier Senior Manager, Employee Benefits, Tennessee Valley Authority Ken Reese, M.D. Internal Medicine, Summit Medical Group John Schlenker CIO, St. Mary’s Health System Merritt Smith Community Volunteer Johnny Walker CEO, Patient Safety Institute Mike Ward CIO, Covenant Health Daniel Winship, M.D. CEO, Cook County Bureau of Health Services -END- |
