The nonprofit Georgia Health Information Network (GaHIN), Georgia’s state-designated health information exchange (HIE), has received a $1 million grant to promote rural healthcare services by expanding and enhancing healthcare delivery to medically underserved citizens living in counties of persistent poverty.
With funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Emergency Rural Development Community Facilities Grant program, GaHIN will partner with HealtHIE Georgia, a regional HIE, along with Jefferson Hospital, Emanuel Medical Center, Wills Memorial Hospital and Washington County Regional Medical to design a rural telehealth network that will link providers and partners to underserved and remote communities. Jefferson Hospital, located in Louisville, Ga., will be established as the hub site for project activities including outreach to other end-user sites.
GaHIN will use the USDA grant funds to upgrade its network system and has selected Ready Computing as its technology partner to advance health information exchange, telehealth, primary care, acute care, behavioral health and behavioral health care coordination.
“We have been impressed with the expertise and knowledge at Ready Computing and look forward to working with them on several high-priority projects,” said GaHIN Executive Director Denise Hines, D.H.A., P.M.P., in a statement. “With their assistance, we can develop and support systems that help bring parity to areas deemed medically underserved and create a healthier Georgia for all of the state’s residents.”
Established in 2009, GaHIN has connected regional HIEs, health systems, state government agencies and physicians. In 2022, members retrieved 14.1 million patient health documents. GaHIN is connected to the national eHealth Exchange and is also a member of DirectTrust, which enables its members to securely exchange information nationally with other providers who are using Direct.
