HealthInsight, a Salt Lake City-based non-profit, announced Thursday that it will launch a health information exchange in Nevada. HealthInsight is a regional extension center and an ONC Beacon Community.

Leaders of HealthInsight said the group is launching the HIE in partnership with the Nevada healthcare community and its stakeholders.

HealthInsight HIE, a community-based exchange, will enable providers to instantly, automatically and securely receive and share real-time patient information at the point of care, the group said.

The data will come directly from patients' EHRs and will include patient referrals, laboratory results, radiology reports, submitting prescriptions to pharmacies and hospital discharge summaries, according to HealthInsight.

Patients will be required to authorize the transfer of their data before it is exchanged between their healthcare providers, the group said.

"HealthInsight's mission is to improve the quality, safety, and delivery of healthcare in Nevada. The launch of the HealthInsight HIE will dramatically further our mission," said Deborah Huber, executive director of HealthInsight Nevada.

[See also: HIEs show their value to community physicians.]

"We are thrilled with the community support for this important and necessary initiative," she said. "We are coordinating with the state, the broadband initiatives and other programs that use health information technology to improve health care in Nevada, Together, our collaborations will provide a great value to Nevadans."

According to Huber, a significant contribution from Southwest Medical Associates, Inc. will partially fund the HIE's launch and initial operations. Additional support has been provided by founding members of the HealthInsight HIE, including:

• Renown Medical Center, Reno

• Catholic Healthcare West, Southern and Northern NV
• Hospital Corporation of America

• The Valley Health System

• Nevada Orthopedic and Spine Center

• University Medical Center of Southern Nevada
• Healthcare Partners, Las Vegas, Nevada

HealthInsight has contracted with Axolotl to establish the technical infrastructure and provide the ongoing support and operations of the HIE, according to Huber.

[See also: HIE, REC efforts have some CIOs worried.]

Axolotl operates the statewide HIEs in Utah, Idaho, Nebraska, and Maryland, and regional HIEs in the tri-state Cincinnati area, Grand Junction, Col., Santa Cruz, Calf., Rochester, Buffalo, Queens, Bronx, and Syracuse, N.Y., South Bend and Bloomington, Ind., and Lansing, Mich.

According to Huber, early participants in the HealthInsight HIE, who will begin sharing patient information in September 2011, include primary care and specialty physician groups and hospitals in northern and southern Nevada. Plans include expanding the HIE to additional stakeholders across the state of Nevada.

Follow Diana Manos on Twitter @DManos_IT_News.