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This access will be made possible through MEDS-ED Link, a project of the Northern Virginia Regional Health Information Organization (NoVaRHIOsm) in conjunction with Inova Health System and GE Healthcare.
With patient approval, Inova emergency physicians will send a query through the MEDS-ED system to existing prescription data repositories such as Surescripts. This query, based on the patient’s demographic data, will be carried through a secure technology infrastructure designed by GE Healthcare’s global eHealth division and implemented by the Inova Health System technology team. Physicians will verify the resulting medication history report with each patient.
“The more accurate and timely the information at our disposal, the more tailored and beneficial our response can be,” said Dr. Martin Brown, Medical Director of Emergency Medicine, Inova Alexandria Hospital. “NoVaRHIO’s MEDS-ED Link will give us faster and more reliable access to vital prescription history data during a time of great stress for patients and their families.”
“The system has been designed to be compatible with emergency department workflows where time is of the essence,” explained Earl Jones, Vice President and General Manager of GE Healthcare’s eHealth business. “We see this as a strong first step in our pledge to provide innovative information technologies to make fully functional health data exchange a reality in northern Virginia and beyond.”
NoVaRHIO is providing funding for the demonstration project, supported in part by a grant from the Commonwealth of Virginia. NoVaRHIO is undertaking this two-year pilot as a first step toward a fully realized health information exchange in northern Virginia. The next step toward that goal will be to add other hospitals and hospital systems to the MEDS-ED Link project, as well as to incorporate laboratory and radiology data into the medical history report.
“By combining the global expertise of GE Healthcare with Inova’s commitment to patient care and safety, NoVaRHIO is extremely proud to facilitate this first step toward more efficient and reliable access to critical health data,” said Phil Reilly, NoVaRHIO board chairman and chief financial officer at KOL Bio-Medical Instruments. “We look forward to working with hospitals and hospital systems throughout the region as we pursue of mission of improving the health status and healthcare of those who live and work in northern Virginia.”
To view the NoVaRHIO MEDS-ED project launch event live on Monday, August 23 at 10 am, go to inova.org/pressconferences.
About NoVaRHIO
Established in 2007, NoVaRHIO works to facilitate the availability of accurate and timely electronic health records with the goal of improving the health status and healthcare of those who live and work in northern Virginia. Partnering with physicians, hospital systems, local governments, patient advocacy groups, free clinics and local businesses, NoVaRHIO has the dual goals of furthering the development of a regional health information exchange and facilitating the adoption and interoperability of personal health records. NoVaRHIO is an active participant in the Commonwealth of Virginia’s statewide health information exchange efforts and is part of the Virginia Health Information Technology Advisory Commission (HITAC). It is recognized as a Virginia 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. For more information contact Janet Palmisano at jpalmisa[.]novarhio.org or visit novarhio.org/.
About Inova Health System
Inova Health System is a not-for-profit healthcare system based in Northern Virginia that consists of hospitals and other health services, including emergency- and urgent-care centers, home care, nursing homes, mental health and blood donor services, and wellness classes. Governed by a voluntary board of community members, Inova’s mission is to improve the health of the diverse community it serves through excellence in patient care, education and research. Inova provides a healthy environment for its patients, families, visitors, staff and physicians by prohibiting tobacco use on its campuses. Project management support for MEDS-ED Link has been provided by Audacious Inquiry (ainq.com), an innovative management consulting firm working as a strategic partner to advance the marketing and information-technology initiatives of healthcare institutions, businesses, and government entities.
About GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our broad expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance solutions services help our customers to deliver better care to more people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable healthcare systems. Our “healthymagination” vision for the future invites the world to join us on our journey as we continuously develop innovations focused on reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality and efficiency around the world. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a $16 billion unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employs more than 46,000 people committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries. For media information, contact Corey Miller or visit newsroom.gehealthcare.com/.
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corey.miller[.]ge.com 
