In this first phase, the IHIE will be sending information to HealthLINC and HealthBridge providers.  Full interconnectivity, with clinical information flowing in both directions among all HIEs, will be implemented by mid-September.

In 2007, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the National Coordinator awarded contracts to HealthLINC, HealthBridge and the Regenstrief Institute (IHIE) through the National Health Information Network. The HIEs worked together as part of the NHIN Cooperative to exchange data, including summary patient records for providers and patients.

"Today's go-live represents a real milestone in the use of technology in healthcare," said Todd Rowland, executive director of HealthLINC. "This is the first real-time, live, ongoing health information exchange between separate communities. Previous demonstrations have used test data or been within a single organization using the same technology system."

HIE officials said patients will benefit through the improved sharing of health information among their providers, while office staff will have results and documents at their fingertips in organized electronic charts, eliminating the need for phone calls and faxes.

"Coordination of care requires information sharing," said Jim Laughlin, MD, of Southern Indiana Pediatrics. "While many medical practices have systems that can share information internally, the connection between different regions and organizations allows me to track patient results from many labs or specialists. It is only through this kind of information sharing that we can hope to coordinate care in an efficient manner."