Maryland funds statewide HIE

Maryland’s Health Services Cost Review Commission has approved up to $10 million in startup funding to build a statewide health information exchange (HIE), with the hope more funding will be available later this year through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.

This move comes several weeks after the Maryland Health Care Commission approved the Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients (CRISP) as the state’s formerly designated HIE.

CRISP is a nonprofit collaboration among Erickson Retirement Communities, Johns Hopkins Medicine, MedStar Health and the University of Maryland Medical System.

"Combined with the widespread adoption of EHRs by hospitals and physicians, health information exchange is one of two critical components to building a truly integrated, 21st-century healthcare delivery system," said David Horrocks, CRISP president.

In May, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley signed a bill intended to coax doctors into using EHRs by requiring private insurance companies to offer financial incentives for adopting the technology.