Healthcare Access San Antonio, the Health Information Exchange for Bexar and 21 surrounding counties in South Central Texas, is in talks with the North Texas Accountable Healthcare Partnership and could merge with the Dallas-based HIE.
There are several such exchanges in the Lone Star State in various stages of development. Last July, Healthcare Access San Antonio, or HASA, became the first HIE in Texas to achieve full accreditation, so the nonprofit collaborative has a head start on a number of other exchanges.
“The way we are looking at this is as a natural evolution,” said HASA Executive Director Gijs van Oort. “There are economic benefits to this.”
The HIE’s are designed to move medical data electronically between health care providers, systems and insurers. The data exchange allows providers to better manage their patients’ care. It also gives patients better access to their own health information.
“We are exploring connecting our resources and technologies,” said van Oort about talks with the Dallas HIE. “This is still in the discussion stage.”
Van Oort said the two groups will likely decide by summer whether to pursue a merger. If they do, he said the two HIE’s would maintain their current leadership and governance.