Health Data Exchange in the Works in Riverside, San Bernardino Counties

Riverside and San Bernardino county officials have received 10 bids for the creation of a regional health information organization, but funding the effort remains a challenge, Payers & Providers reports.

The Inland Empire Health Information Coalition has said that it might hire an experienced health data exchange consultant to help it raise funds and properly implement a self-sustaining system. A group of 22 hospitals and 27 medical groups in Riverside and San Bernardino counties helped create the coalition about a year ago.

Dolores Green, executive director of the Riverside County Medical Association, said information technology contractors typically charge implementation fees of $200,000 to $500,000 on top of operational costs for a regional health information organization.

Christina Bivona-Tellez, regional vice president for the Hospital Association of Southern California, suggested that the coalition could raise funds by:

Imposing fees on all RHIO participants;
Obtaining stimulus funds from the California e-Health Collaborative; or
Soliciting grants (Payers & Providers, 2/18).

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