Tennessee is working with state officials to establish a "network of networks" of local health information exchanges across Tennessee, according to Dr. Robert Mandel, who heads the Health Information Partnership for Tennessee (HIP-TN), a collaboration of HIEs across the state.
HIP-TN, the state's "designed entity" for receiving and managing federal funding to help build the network, picked HIE networking services firm Axolotl Corp. to provide the technology for the network, Mandel announced last week.
Mandel said the state would work with Axolotl in an effort to"connect current and future networks of local health information exchanges over the next we months to create an overarching statewide
network."
Tennessee received an $11 million grant from the Office of the National Coordinator as part of its program to establish state HIEs as called for in the HITECH Act.
Among its services the HIE will include an electronic directory and master index to help providers exchange information and connect with statewide immunization, public health and lab reporting services.
Axolotl also provides state HIE technology for Maryland, Idaho, Nebraska, Utah and Kentucky.
