EHNAC Accredits First Health Information Exchange (HIE) Organization

HIE accreditation assures Utah Health Information Network complies with industry standards for health data processing and security

FARMINGTON, Conn.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC), a non-profit standards development organization and accrediting body, today announced Utah Health Information Network (UHIN) as the first organization to be accredited through EHNAC’s recently developed Health Information Exchange Accreditation Program (HIEAP).

“Jan Root and the UHIN organization played active roles throughout the development process of our Health Information Exchange Accreditation Program (HIEAP), and it is rewarding to see their accreditation come to fruition”

Through the consultative review process, EHNAC evaluated UHIN in areas of privacy and security, technical performance, business practices and organizational resources as it relates to health information exchange (HIE) policies and procedures. In addition, EHNAC reviewed the organization’s process of managing and transferring protected health information and determined that the organization meets or exceeds all EHNAC criteria and industry standards.

“With the national effort to move America’s health records to secure electronic systems, it is critical that the country have a trusted, strenuous benchmark against which to measure their health information exchange organization’s performance,” said Jan Root, Ph.D., president and CEO of Utah Health Information Network. “The EHNAC HIEAP criteria is a huge step towards being able to prove – through a rigorous, independent third-party evaluation – that your HIE is secure and compliant with federal privacy and security regulations as well as being customer focused and technically superior.”

UHIN was awarded HIEAP accredited status for a period of two years, at which time they may be evaluated for reaccreditation. Additionally, UHIN was also accredited with EHNAC’s Healthcare Network Accreditation Program (HNAP-EHN). With these accreditations, UHIN demonstrates to its constituents, adherence to strict standards and participation in the comprehensive, objective evaluation of its business. More information about EHNAC’s HIE accreditation program is available on the EHNAC Web site.

“Jan Root and the UHIN organization played active roles throughout the development process of our Health Information Exchange Accreditation Program (HIEAP), and it is rewarding to see their accreditation come to fruition,” said Lee Barrett, executive director of EHNAC. “As the first accredited HIE, we see UHIN as a true pioneer in the industry and are confident that the value behind such an achievement will be well-recognized by their peers, customers and business partners alike.”

About EHNAC

The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC) is a voluntary, self-governing standards development organization (SDO) established to develop standard criteria and accredit organizations that electronically exchange healthcare data. These entities include electronic health networks, payers, financial services firms, health information exchanges and e-prescribing solution providers.

EHNAC was founded in 1993 and is a tax-exempt 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization. Guided by peer evaluation, the EHNAC accreditation process promotes quality service, innovation, cooperation and open competition in healthcare. To learn more, visit www.ehnac.org or contact [e-mail].

About Utah Health Information Network

Utah Health Information Network (UHIN) is a broad-based coalition of Utah health care insurers, providers, and other interested parties, including the Utah State government. Since 1993, UHIN members have come together for the common goal of reducing health care costs and improving the quality of care through the use of electronic data interchange (EDI). To learn more, visit www.uhin.org.