CHICAGO – Allscripts, long known for its clinical software and information systems for physicians, is taking aim at hospitals now with the purchase of the Extended Care Information Network, a provider of hospital care management and discharge planning software, based in Chicago.

The deal, valued at roughly $90 million, enables Allscripts, also based in Chicago, to coordinate the exchange of information between hospitals, physicians based outside the hospital and post-acute care facilities. Following the announcement, the company also announced the formation of a new Hospital Solutions Group to combine ECIN’s offerings with Allscripts’ emergency department information systems (EDIS) and Canopy care management solution.

“Our acquisition of ECIN represents the convergence of two market leaders and will help connect hundreds  of hospitals and thousands of post-acute care facilities to our network of ambulatory physicians, bringing us one step closer to our vision of a truly interconnected healthcare system,” said Allscripts CEO Glen Tullman. “This combination provides significant leverage for each of our product offerings and broadens Allscripts relationships in the hospital market at a time when hospitals are becoming more important influencers in the Electronic Health Record sales process.”