Indiana University receives HHS grant to help design NHIN

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded the Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine a $2.5 million contract to begin a trial implementation of a Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN).

With the grant, researchers from the Regenstrief Institute of IU, with participation from the Indiana Health Information Exchange, will work on a health information exchange.

The Indianapolis group is one of nine selected by HHS to work on the NHIN. In total, the nine groups will receive $22.5 million to participate in a collaboration to test and demonstrate the exchange of private and secure health information among providers, patients and healthcare stakeholders.

“Trial implementations of the NHIN will bring us steps closer to a health IT system that will improve quality of care, increase efficiencies in healthcare and improve disease prevention,” said HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt.

“Our selection to participate in this next phase of the Nationwide Health Information Network recognizes Indiana's leadership in health information technology,” said J. Marc Overhage, MD, director of medical informatics at the Regenstrief Institute and president and CEO of the Indiana Health Information Exchange.

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