HITE-CT and Rhode Island Quality Institute announce partnership to promote interstate Direct communication between healthcare providers
Providence, RI and East Hartford, CT, June 26, 2013 – The Health Information Technology Exchange of Connecticut (HITE-CT) and Rhode Island Quality Institute (RIQI) announced their partnership to promote adoption of Direct email for secure communication among Connecticut healthcare providers and between Connecticut and Rhode Island providers. Providers will have access to Rhode Island’s Direct vendor marketplace, a source of pre-qualified vendors who provide Direct services. All vendors have been evaluated on technical adherence to Direct standards and the products and services they offer.
Connecticut providers will also be eligible to join the Southern New England Trust Community (formerly known as the Rhode Island Trust Community)—a network of verified providers who have a legitimate need to use Direct messaging to exchange patients’ protected health information (PHI). Membership in the Trust Community is free and provides an easier way to manage your contacts and an extra layer of confidence. “RIQI is considered a thought leader in the area of health information exchange,” said John J. DeStefano, Chief Technology Officer at HITE-CT. “We are very excited to leverage their expertise to promote interstate Direct communication and offer a rich set of value-added services for those providers who are interested.”
“RIQI is committed to improving the healthcare system through collaborative innovation,” stated Gary Christensen, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Information Officer for RIQI. “We are thrilled to collaborate with HITE-CT in support of their efforts. This partnership is an excellent opportunity to foster future initiatives around interstate health information exchange.”
Connecticut providers interested in adopting Direct and joining the Trust Community and should contact jdestefano@hite-ct.org or go to http://hitect.org to learn more. Rhode Island providers looking for more information can contact RIQI at directprogram@riqi.org or go to http://DocEHRtalk.org/Direct.
CONTACT:
| Heath Information Technology Exchange of CT John DeStefano, CTO 101 East River Drive East Hartford, CT 06108 jdestefano@hite-ct.org (860) 622-2331 |
Rhode Island Quality Institute Janice Capasso, Communications 50 Holden Street, Suite 300 Providence RI, 02908 jcapasso@riqi.org (401)-276-9141 extension 295 |