Governor, Hawai'i HIE Update Memorandum of Agreement, Announce Implementation of the State's Health Information Exchange Network

Governor Neil Abercrombie and the Hawai'i Health Information Exchange (Hawai'i HIE) today signed a Memorandum of Agreement outlining how Hawai'i HIE and the state will collaborate to develop and implement a statewide health information network that enables Hawai'i health providers to share electronic patient health information. A signing ceremony was held in the Governor's office to formally confirm the agreement.

"The Hawai'i HIE has made tremendous progress in the last several years evaluating and determining the state's infrastructure requirements that will support the transformation of Hawai'i's health care system," said Gov. Abercrombie. "Finalizing our updated cooperative agreement with Hawai'i HIE will ultimately result in improved health care for all Hawai'i residents."

The non-profit Hawai'i HIE was designated by the state in 2009 to develop and implement a statewide electronic health information exchange (HIE) that will eventually feed into the Nationwide Health Information Network (NwHIN). In 2010, Hawai'i HIE secured more than $5.6 million in federal funding to create the exchange, which allows health care providers to share patient health information electronically through a secure network that adheres to national data exchange standards. The timely and secure exchange of health data is key to providing efficient and effective care to patients and to improving the overall quality of health care for Hawai'i's residents and visitors...