The Georgia Health Information Network (GaHIN) has received a $1 million grant from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to enhance rural healthcare services. GaHIN will partner with various healthcare organizations to develop a telehealth network, expanding access to underserved communities. The grant will be used to upgrade GaHIN’s network system, enabling improved health data exchange for care coordination. GaHIN’s collaboration with Ready Computing aims to address healthcare disparities and promote a healthier Georgia for all residents.
To expand access to healthcare in rural areas, the Georgia Health Information Network (GaHIN), the state’s designated health information exchange (HIE), has received a $1 million grant from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The grant, provided through the USDA Emergency Rural Development Community Facilities Grant program, aims to improve healthcare delivery in medically underserved communities by expanding and enhancing services.
GaHIN will collaborate with several healthcare organizations, including Jefferson Hospital, Emanuel Medical Center, Wills Memorial Hospital, Washington County Regional Medical, and HealtHIE Georgia, a regional HIE. Together, they will develop a telehealth network specifically designed to connect providers with underserved and remote communities.
Jefferson Hospital will serve as the central location for project activities, including outreach to other end-user sites. With the USDA grant funding, GaHIN will upgrade its network system. To accomplish this, the HIE has partnered with Ready Computing, a health IT vendor, to advance health data exchange for better care coordination across telehealth, primary care, acute care, and behavioral health.
Denise Hines, DHA, PMP, FHIMSS, Executive Director of GaHIN, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, “We have been impressed with the expertise and knowledge at Ready Computing and look forward to working with them on several high-priority projects. With their assistance, we can develop and support systems that help bring parity to areas deemed medically underserved and create a healthier Georgia for all of the state’s residents.”
Established in 2009, GaHIN facilitates health data exchange among regional HIEs, health systems, state government agencies, and physicians. In 2022 alone, GaHIN members securely accessed 14.1 million patient health documents. The HIE is connected to the national eHealth Exchange and is a member of DirectTrust, enabling its members to exchange information with other providers nationwide using the Direct standard.
