The North Carolina Health Information Exchange (NC HIE) has expanded its reach with the implementation of Orion Health Direct Secure Messaging, offering healthcare organizations another way to safely share health data between physicians and facilities.

NC HIE officials tout this as the latest milestone toward the HIE's development of a robust exchange that connects providers, hospitals and public health departments throughout North Carolina. NC HIE already relies on Orion Health HIE, powered by Orion Health's Rhapsody Integration Engine, Clinical Data Repository and Clinical Portal, as the technology backbone for the statewide exchange.

[See also: Rural Indiana hospital adopts Direct messaging technology.]

“The implementation of NC DIRECT through Orion Health Direct Secure Messaging is another step forward in NC HIE’s mission to give physicians across North Carolina access to patients’ health information when and where it’s needed,” said Jeff Miller, CEO of the North Carolina Health Information Exchange. “NC HIE’s ongoing partnership with Orion Health will evolve as our HIE does."

Developed using the national standards put forth by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology’s (ONC) Direct Project, Orion Health Direct Secure Messaging allows medical professionals to securely send and receive text-based email messages over the Internet, including patient referrals and continuity of care documents. The network also gives healthcare organizations the ability to communicate across state lines with any ONC-compliant Direct secure messaging system, including facilities that may not have electronic health record systems in place.

[See also: Albany pilot aims for direct results with Direct Project.]

Since going live with Orion Health HIE in April 2012, NC HIE has supported real-time access, exchange and analysis of health information. Officials note that the HIE, along with Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC), is currently on-boarding clinicians at physician practices, health clinics and hospitals throughout the state. To date, more than 70 providers are enrolled and have processed more than 1 million transactions.

“NC HIE’s implementation of Orion Health Direct Secure Messaging further extends the power and reach of its health information exchange solution, giving providers immediate access to patient data while also meeting meaningful use requirements,” said Paul Viskovich, president, Orion Health North America.