What Is The Enterprise Master Patient Index?

What Is The Enterprise Master Patient Index?

The enterprise master patient index is a database that maintains a definitive record of all patients within a healthcare organization. It is used within an overall process called patient identity management in healthcare. The EMPI is used to positively identify patients for the purpose of providing care, processing billing, and the exchange of data among other entities. Sometimes called the corporate ID, the purpose of the EMPI is to ensure that all patient data is accurately and consistently recorded and maintained, and to prevent duplicate records or errors in patient identification. It is also used to facilitate the exchange of patient…

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This World AIDS Day – Reflecting on Health IT as a Tool for Advancing Health Equity and Ending the HIV Epidemic

This World AIDS Day – Reflecting on Health IT as a Tool for Advancing Health Equity and Ending the HIV Epidemic

December 1st is World AIDS Day, when we collectively remember those who died due to AIDS-related illnesses and renew our commitment to work together to end the HIV epidemic and support people with HIV. This year’s theme, “Putting Ourselves to the Test: Achieving Equity to End HIV,” emphasizes accountability and action. Collaborative, community-based, cross sector, and whole-of-government approaches that address clinical and social determinants of health (SDOH) are needed to support communities disproportionally affected by HIV and achieve national HIV/AIDS goals. Interoperable health IT, with health equity as a fundamental design feature, is an important tool to enable these efforts.Health IT…

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STAR HIE Program Helps Unlock Powerful Public Health Data in West Virginia

STAR HIE Program Helps Unlock Powerful Public Health Data in West Virginia

ONC launched the Strengthening the Technical Advancement and Readiness of Public Health Agencies via Health Information Exchange (STAR HIE) Program in 2020 using funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The program was expanded in 2021 to increase support for efforts to improve vaccination data sharing between jurisdictional Immunization Information Systems (IIS) and HIEs. The West Virginia Health Information Network (WVHIN) was among the 22 recipients that received a combined $20 million in funds from ONC via the CARES Act.We sat down with WVHIN’s Executive Director, Sonia Chambers, to learn how the STAR HIE Program helped…

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OpenHIE

The OpenHIE community of practice formed in early 2013, evolving from the work that initially began in 2009 to establish the Rwandan Health Information Exchange (RHIE). As the benefits of the approach adopted in Rwanda became apparent, interest gathered from other countries looking to apply similar architectural tactics within their environments. Today, OpenHIE’s approaches, reference […]

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OpenHIE Academy

As countries contemplate their implementation approaches to health data sharing, many are beginning to discern how to develop capacity in data exchange and other HIE related topics. The Academy community works together to create and share global goods that are focused on increasing the capacity to build and support health information exchange architecture and processes. This […]

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Top EHR Vendors 2023 – Epic, Cerner, Meditech, Allscripts/Veradigm

Top EHR Vendors 2023 – Epic, Cerner, Meditech, Allscripts/Veradigm

Here is where we will explore the top EHR vendors, focusing on those who specialize in either enterprise wide systems, or electronic health records for physician practice offices. Since one of the goals of this site is to help people who are starting in healthcare IT, I’ve tried to find out if the vendors have intern or apprenticeship programs.There are many more vendors in specialty areas, such as lab, pharmacy, materials management, consulting, and medical devices that can be found on this resource of healthcare IT companies.
Allscripts (Veradigm)
Allscripts is a publicly traded provider of practice management, EHR and financial management systems…

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Episode 10: A Look at the  Proposed HIPAA Changes

Episode 10: A Look at the Proposed HIPAA Changes

In this episode of Health+Tech, Andrea Lee Linna and Jonathan Ishee are joined by fellow McGuireWoods digital health team member Michael Paluzzi to discuss proposed HIPAA changes that may require covered entities and business associates to overhaul their HIPAA policies and procedures in 2022.After providing a high-level overview of the proposed changes, the podcast turns to a live recording of Andrea and Jonathan’s recent webinar, “Preparing for Major HIPAA Changes in 2022,” offering in-depth details about the proposed changes and how to prepare for them in the new year….

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Episode 9: Digital Health Trends and Issues for Life Sciences Companies

Episode 9: Digital Health Trends and Issues for Life Sciences Companies

In this episode of Health+Tech, McGuireWoods healthcare attorneys Janice Suchyta, Kate Hardey, Kae Gruner and Royce DuBiner discuss the latest digital health updates from the Food and Drug Administration and Federal Trade Commission. Join the conversation as we wrap up Cybersecurity Awareness Month and discuss the following topics:• FDA draft guidance on electronic health records and medical claims data• FDA new resource for approved artificial intelligence/machine learning medical devices• FDA Digital Health Center of Excellence• FTC rules for health apps outside of HIPAA…

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Episode 8: Telehealth Barriers During Covid-19

Episode 8: Telehealth Barriers During Covid-19

In this episode of Health+Tech, McGuireWoods healthcare partner Janice Suchyta talks to Michele Satterlund, senior vice president in the state government relations practice of McGuireWoods Consulting and a partner with McGuireWoods, on the emergence of telehealth, particularly during the pandemic. They also look at how telehealth is evaluated state by state and discuss the need for uniform best practices….

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Episode 7: Houston Ready to Become the Third Coast for Biotechnology

Episode 7: Houston Ready to Become the Third Coast for Biotechnology

In this episode of Health+Tech, McGuireWoods healthcare partner Janice M. Suchyta talks to Donna Chang, founder and CEO of Hope Biosciences. Donna discusses how Texas — particularly Houston — is making a name for itself in biotechnology by attracting research funding, supporting premier academic medical centers and welcoming investment by major pharmaceutical companies. Hope Biosciences, a stem cell biotechnology company that has flourished as part of the biotech cluster in the Houston area, is helping to make Texas the third coast for biotechnology….

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