New Bridge Medical Center Routes Data to NJHIN

On Jul 27, 2018

New Bridge Medical Center (NBMC), the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH)  and the New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII) are working together to advance healthcare interoperability.  New Bridge Medical Center is the first Trusted Data Sharing Organization (TDSO) to route healthcare data to the New Jersey Health Information Network (NJHIN), a shared services platform, created by NJDOH and powered by NJII, that provides the infrastructure for electronic exchange of patient health information among healthcare providers, HIE organizations, and state health data sources.

“Folks are beginning to understand the value of having their health information available to any doctor who needs to see them, without resorting to outdated methods like paper mail and fax. Interoperability and data integration—including the NJHIN—are the ways that New Jersey will get there,” New Jersey Health Commissioner Dr. Shereef Elnahal said. “I am proud of New Bridge for taking this step, so that residents can truly own their health information and receive the highest level of care. Together, we are building on Governor Murphy’s vision of an innovation economy in health care.”

Interoperability is the exchange of healthcare information among two or more disparate healthcare organizations to inform and improve patient care.  NBMC is currently sending alerts through the NJHIN as part of its goals to achieve Transitions of Care (TOC), the coordination and continuity of health care during a movement from one healthcare setting to another, for its patient population.  This will allow providers to be alerted when one of their patients are admitted or discharged at NBMC.

“New Bridge Medical Center is excited about this New Jersey initiative which gives us the opportunity to support the state through this partnership,” said NBMC Chief Information Officer, Jennifer D’Angelo. “This furthers our leadership commitment to enhancing our technology as we become an innovative destination hospital providing quality care in a collaborative environment to the communities we serve,” said D’Angelo. “Further, we are particularly pleased that this partnership positions us to take the lead in providing integrated care to our veterans,” said D’Angelo. “As New Bridge is a participating provider in the Veterans Choice Program, being able to be at the forefront of interoperability and share critical health information will particularly benefit this population.”

“Earlier this year, New Bridge Medical Center, the largest hospital in New Jersey, led the way in expanding access to health care for thousands of veterans and active duty service members,” said Bergen County Executive James J. Tedesco, lll.   “Now, by investing in digital infrastructure and taking a lead role in modernizing the use of health information, Bergen County’s public hospital is improving health care delivery for veterans, their families, and patients throughout our region.”

The State of New Jersey received federal funding to support onboarding of providers to the state’s health information exchange (HIE) infrastructure. At the heart of these HIE onboarding programs is funding that was made available to promote statewide interoperability to aid in the coordination of TOC.

“Improving interoperability of health information across New Jersey is a strategic priority for the Department of Health as a means to improve care quality and lower costs,” said Tomas Gregorio, Senior Executive Director, Healthcare Delivery Systems iLab, NJII. “As more health care organizations join NJHIN, providers will benefit from moving clinical data across disparate systems and state registries.  New Bridge Medical Center is now in a position to take advantage of this data super highway, and ensure that its care teams have access to their patients’ health information in a timely manner to support their medical decisions.”

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