Lansing, Mich., April 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Michigan Health Information Network (MiHIN) today announced that the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi (NHBP) has been formally onboarded to the state-designated health information exchange and begun the process of bidirectional data sharing from both tribal and non-tribal facilities.
By joining MiHIN, the NHBP will become the first federally recognized tribe in the state to initiate its own access to the Active Care Relationship Service (ACRS®), a centralized solution for sharing patient health information across different healthcare providers and organizations.
"NHBP’s decision to join MiHIN reflects its commitment to improving healthcare outcomes and providing patient-centered medical care for our members," said Rosalind Johnston, Health and Human Services Director for the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi. "We are excited to partner with MIHIN and leverage their state-of-the-art solutions to access accurate and timely health information that will allow us to improve outcomes, reduce costs, and enhance the overall quality of care.”
In addition to ACRS, the NHBP has also onboarded to ReferralsPlus, a digital tool designed to help healthcare providers refer patients to other providers more efficiently, and the Immunizations Use Case, the method by which MiHIN automatically and electronically sends immunization records through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the state’s immunization information system (IIS).
Being a part of the MiHIN network will improve the sharing of digital health information at the individual patient level and at clinic and system-wide levels, increase efficiency, and reduce healthcare costs by facilitating better communication and collaboration among healthcare providers.
“One of the biggest lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic is the importance of ensuring access to good health data to Michigan’s 12 federally recognized tribes and urban Indian Health Center. As sovereign nations, Michigan tribes should have access to solid data to serve their citizens and other Indigenous patients well, and I am excited to see the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi make great strides toward obtaining this important information,” said Lorna Elliott-Egan, Director of Tribal Government Services & Policy with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. “By actively participating in the health information exchange, they will be able to coordinate and provide better patient care and improve health equity in a way that ensures patient health information is protected from unauthorized access and is used in a culturally sensitive and appropriate way.”
To date, nine of the 12 tribes and the Urban Indian Health Center have signed the necessary agreements to join the statewide network of health information exchanging entities.
"We are thrilled to welcome the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi to the MIHIN network," said Dr. Tim Pletcher, Executive Director of MIHIN. "Increasing tribal representation in healthcare data will ultimately lead to improved health equity, outcomes, and patient satisfaction for tribal patients. This is a huge milestone in our ability to improve outcomes for all Michigan residents and will further drive interoperability across the state, helping to advance our mission of improving outcomes and reducing costs through the safe and secure exchange of data.”
For additional information on MiHIN’s tribal engagement initiatives, contact Krystal Schramm at krystal.schramm@mihin.org or visit our website.
###
About Michigan Health Information Network Shared Services
The Michigan Health Information Network Shared Services (MiHIN) is Michigan’s state designated entity for the technical, legal, secure, and private exchange of health information. Breaking down disparate and siloed data systems, the digital network is dedicated to transforming the healthcare experience, improving quality, decreasing cost and solving for health. MIHIN is a 501C3 non-profit, socio-technical collaboration that includes the State of Michigan, Health Information Exchanges, health systems, hospitals, care providers, behavioral health clinics, FQHC’s, PIHPs, health plans/payers, pharmacies, post-acute care, hospices, and the Governor’s Health Information Technology Commission. For more information, visit https://mihin.org
Attachment
