Porter Hospital taps into VITL to finalize electronic records implementation

Vermont Information Technology Leaders, Inc has announced that it has secured $272,000 in funding through grants from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the State of Vermont to finalize the implementation of an electronic health records system at Porter Hospital and its network of physician practices.
‘The resources being provided to finalize the implementation of our electronic health records system as well as to help our physician partners achieve meaningful use in their practices illustrates just how important it is in having VITL lead the way in creating a robust and vibrant health information network for Vermont,’said James L Daily, President of Porter Hospital. ‘It is especially important that these much needed human and financial resources are available to hospitals in rural communities to enhance care for our patients.’
The agreement between VITL and Porter Hospital will include a number of measurements for success, including improving provider satisfaction survey results, the completion of the hospital attaining Medicare Meaningful Use and increasing the number of practices already live from six to eleven among other milestones.
Porter Hospital is a critical access hospital offering comprehensive medical care and 24-hour emergency services. There are 60 physicians on the medical staff who offer primary care and an array of specialty services. Porter Hospital has a network of 11 physician practices throughout Addison County.
‘This is another example of how VITL is helping health care providers, and in particular hospitals, to accelerate the transition from paper records to electronic health records in order to safely and securely exchange clinical data,’said John K. Evans, president and CEO of VITL. ‘We want health care providers to view us as a resource to enhance their respective health information technology systems and we are pleased that Porter Medical Center has reached out to us.’
About VITL: Vermont Information Technology Leaders, Inc. (VITL) is a non-profit organization that assists Vermont health care providers statewide with adopting and using health information technology to improve the quality of care delivery as well as to enhance patient safety and outcomes. Comprised of a collaborative group of stakeholders including health plans, hospitals, physicians, other health care providers, state government, employers, and consumers, VITL is the designated health information exchange (HIE) for the state of Vermont and also the state’s federally-designated regional extension center. For more information, please visit www.vitl.net.