The North Carolina Health Information Exchange Authority (HIEA) recently sent an update on its progress in connecting clinicians through the HIE. The update also included a reference to a column in the North State Journal by North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) CEO Robert Seligson, which reiterated the NCMS’ stance on the importance of the HIE: “Much work needs to be done to ensure that doctors, hospitals and health systems are financially and technologically able to tap into the HIE in order to submit and retrieve information on behalf of their patients,” Seligson wrote. “Success will mean a healthier bottom line for the Medicaid program and, most importantly, a healthier population.”
Read the full update from the HIEA. Some highlights include:

  • Progress is also being made to provide much-needed training materials to the NC HIE users. The NC HIEA User Guide is in its final stages.
  • Longtime NCMS member William G. Way, MD, an imaging radiologist with Wake Radiology, was among those appointed by the NC General Assembly to the NC HIEA Advisory Board.
  • NCHIE enhancements coming this summer include the NC HIE portal will be able to deliver notifications to users when a patient’s record is updated by another participant (i.e. lab results, medication change, ER admittance)
  • This fall a directory will be available so providers will be able to look up and communicate safely and securely through web messaging.

If you have questions, call the HIEA business office at 919-754-6912 or send an email to [email protected].