Department of Human Services Adds Mount Nittany Exchange to the PA Patient & Provider Network

HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Department of Human Services' (DHS) eHealth Partnership program today announced that Mount Nittany Exchange (MNX) is now connected to the PA Patient & Provider Network (P3N), marking a significant milestone in the statewide health information exchange. MNX is one of five active health information organizations (HIO) in Pennsylvania.

Health care providers participating with MNX can now securely access patient clinical data stored with providers elsewhere on the P3N network.

"This is a huge step forward for patients, who will benefit from improvements in care coordination, patient safety, and health care quality," said DHS Secretary Ted Dallas. "This will bring to fruition the promise of using electronic health information exchange to improve patients' health."

MNX joins St. Luke's University Health Network's eVantageHealth and the Keystone Health Information Exchange as a participant in the P3N. Pennsylvania's HIOs link health care providers within defined geographic areas and govern health information exchange among them for the purpose of improving health care in their communities.

"Through the P3N, Mount Nittany Exchange is excited to be able to offer our members access to a broader network of patient clinical information," said Wayne Thompson, administrator, Mount Nittany Exchange. "This benefits local patients traveling beyond our region and those patients visiting central Pennsylvania from elsewhere in the state."

Health care providers who join a P3N-connected health information organization will also benefit from the Public Health Gateway, a single connection for reporting into Pennsylvania's various registries, including cancer, immunization, disease surveillance, electronic laboratory reporting, and clinical quality measurement.

This summer DHS anticipates adding two additional HIOs, HealthShare Exchange of Southeastern Pennsylvania and ClinicalConnect Health Information Exchange. This will ensure all five currently existing HIOs are connected to the P3N statewide.  

Health care providers interested in affiliating with a health information organization may visit Choose Your HIO, a web page that offers a side-by-side look at the contacts, provider types served, structure, services provided, service areas, and financial/fee structure of each of the state's P3N-certified HIO. The page includes a scrollable chart of HIOs, companion downloadable Excel and PDF versions of the chart, and recommended questions that health care providers should consider when pursuing affiliation with an HIO. 

MEDIA CONTACTS: Roger Baumgarten, DHS, 717-214-2489
Nichole Monica, MNX, 814-360-7973

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare

Related Links

http://www.state.pa.us