Pharmaceutical Business review

VITL Selects athenahealth As Preferred EHR Partner

VITL’s recognition of athenahealth as a preferred EHR partner means athenahealth demonstrated the ability to share clinical data via the Vermont Health Information Exchange.

athenahealth’s web-based EHR service, athenaClinicalsSM, is different from legacy software models that require upfront investments in software, hardware, and training.

VITL said that the efforts of it are being coordinated with other state and federal initiatives, including the National Health Information Network (NHIN) of the federal Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), the national eHealth Initiative, and the Vermont Blueprint for Health.

VITL’s work helps to facilitate communication among Vermont’s health information technology experts and creates the foundation for future health information technology collaboration.

Jonathan Bush, chairman and CEO of athenahealth, said: “As the value of EHRs continues to be made clear, it’s important to enable the meaningful exchange of patient information in more rural communities where there is real physical distance between care providers, specialists, and hospitals.

“Our internet-based network levels the playing field and affords the solo doctor in Newbury, Vermont, the same access to clinical knowledge and information that a physician practice in New York City might have.

“Within the state of Vermont, athenahealth is supporting the creation of a health care provider network that is expected to help introduce efficiencies into the care delivery system. We are excited to be working along with VITL, in a state like Vermont that is lauded for its delivery of care, to help further drive the implementation of EHRs.”