Brookings Health System Awarded Health Information Exchange Connectivity Grant

Brookings Health System was recently awarded a Health Information Exchange (HIE) Connectivity Grant by the South Dakota Department of Health. The health system will be one of the first health care providers in the state capable of exchanging electronic health records with other providers.

“By allowing our computer system to securely communicate with other health care providers in the state, we’ll be able to provide better continuity of care for patients,” said CEO Jason Merkley. “For example, if one of our patients experiences an illness while visiting Rapid City, care providers there will be able to securely access his or her records and see their medical history, such as medication and allergies. When they return home, our care providers would also be able to see any treatment they received while in Rapid City.”

The grant, which totals over $63,000, allows Brookings Health System to establish connectivity to the state HIE network, South Dakota Health Link. As a part of the grant agreement, Brookings Health System must be ready to connect to South Dakota Health Link by May 31, 2013.

Brookings Health System was selected as one of the first health care organizations in the state to connect to South Dakota Health Link along with Community Counseling Services of Huron and Horizon Health Care, Inc. of Howard. Eleven other providers throughout the state will be added to the network in the second and third phases of the project.

Brookings Health System has been a pioneering adopter of electronic health records, becoming the first hospital in South Dakota to achieve HIMSS Stage 6 Electronic Medical Record (EMR) rating. The HIE Connectivity Grant allows the health system to remain on the cutting edge of technology to deliver the best care to the Brookings local area.

For more information on Brookings Health System’s technology and the organization’s services, please visit www.brookingshealth.org.  

About Brookings Health System

Brookings Health System, located in Brookings, South Dakota, includes a 49-bed hospital, the 79-bed Brookview Manor nursing home, and Brookhaven Estates apartments. It is a non-profit, city-owned facility that offers the community a full range of inpatient, outpatient, and extended care services. The emergency room is staffed 24 hours a day and provides around the clock medical-nursing care for patient needs ranging from minor injuries to life threatening crises. For more information about the services offered at Brookings Health System, please call (605) 696-9000 or visit us on the Web at brookingshealth.org.