Supporting a Healthier Georgia
Through the Georgia Regional Academic Community Health Information Exchange (GRAChIE) your hospital or clinic will have access to patient health records which will allow you to improve care transitions with a more complete record of patient health information.
GRAChIE allows a provider to access patient health data as well as to contribute to a patient’s health record to facilitate care transitions securely through an embedded EMR connection. For example, a patient who has an appointment at their primary care Physician’s office who is referred to an acute care facility will allow the Physicians at the acute care facility be able to access the primary care records from the acute care facility almost immediately.
- Enable your hospital, clinic or practice meet meaningful use across disparate organizations.
- Ensure timely delivery and secure access to records to other providers.
- Expand your referral area and increase the ability to serve patients outside a hospital environment.
Easily coordinate patient care between disparate healthcare organizations. Contact GRAChIE today for more information about how your organization can benefit through membership with GRAChIE.
Becoming a Member
Becoming a member of GRAChIE happens in several steps. For a smooth implementation process GRAChIE provides additional services as a part of the on-boarding process.
- Presentation & Assesment – After initial contact, GRAChIE will work with your internal staff to ensure a full understanding of our organization and the work required to connect. Organizations will complete a technical assessment. GRAChIE offers a Discovery Call to members to assist in this process.
- Technical Connection – GRAChIE manages the process with your vendor of building the connection and the interface from GRAChIE to the EMR being used by the member
- Going Live – The final step involves getting your connection live and providing training and tutorials for your staff. This will include testing the connection, loading any data, setting up user access and training for providers.
We manage the integration process with the member’s EMR/EHR vendor. This means regular updates as implementation progresses without additional work on the part of the member.
GRAChIE also works with your organizations staff to prepare for patient education and consent processes.
GRAChIE Improves Your Healthcare
Today, your health information may be shared between providers by telephone, fax or mail. These isolated methods take time and can be burdensome on you or your providers. In addition, they may fail to provide complete information.
Sensitive Information is Protected
Participating providers will share general health information. Sensitive health information—such as information related to mental health treatment—will not be shared through GRAChIE.
Your Health Information is Secure
Organizations participating in GRAChIE will have secure access to your health information. You can view a comprehensive list of GRAChIE’s participating organizations here. Access to your information by GRAChIE participants is for treatment, payment, health care operations, public health, and other purposes, to the extent permitted by HIPAA and other applicable laws.
The GRAChIE Network is Committed to Privacy
Today, your health information may be shared between providers by telephone, fax or mail. These isolated methods take time and can be burdensome on you or your providers. In addition, they may fail to provide complete information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will there be fees for connecting to GRAChIE?
Yes there is a fee for connecting to GRAChIE. There may also be a fee from your EMR provider and those fees can vary from EMR to EMR.
How long does it take to get connected to GRAChIE?
This can vary from EMR vendor to EMR vendor. On average it will take 6-8 weeks to connect to an EMR.
What kind of information is available through GRAChIE?
A wide range of patient information is available through the GRAChIE interface including:
- Diagnoses
- Vitals
- History & Physicals
- Discharge Summaries
- Medications
- Allergies
- Immunizations
- Encounters
- Labs
- Provider Reports
- Procedures
- Anatomic Pathology & Microbiology
- Recommendations
The information available for GRAChIE may vary slightly based on the EMR system and how patient health information is presented. GRAChIE makes every effort to provide consistency with how member information is shared and presented through GRAChIE.
Will GRAChIE connect to my EMR?
GRAChIE can connect to most any CCHIT certified EMR systems. To date we have connected with over 30 different EMR systems.
Will GRAChIE help my organization meet meaningful use goals?
Yes, by utilizing GRAChIE health information exchange as well as a HIPAA compliant email tool both Meaningful Use levels 1 and 2 will be met. GRAChIE is committed to maintaining and implementing future enhancements to continue to meet future Meaningful Use requirements.
How is health information in GRAChIE protected?
Patient health information is protected in a number of ways.
- First of all the only people who can access GRAChIE are licensed Health Care providers. This includes licensed Physicians, Physician assistants, Nurses, Therapists, Paramedics, and EMTs.
- GRAChIE is only available through an embedded connection directly into in EMR System.
- Technical structures are put into place around each members connection to GRAChIE to ensure the highest level of security around the implementation as well as access to any patient health information.
Contact Us to request additional information regarding GRAChIE’s Privacy & Security policies.
How long will it take for information to appear in GRAChIE?
Most EMR connections make information available nearly instantly or with up to a 10 minute delay.
What kind of support resources are available for GRAChIE?
Both self-help resources are available as well as remote meetings for training and support through WebEx or GotoMeeting as well as in person training sessions as needed.
How can patients Opt-Out of GRAChIE?
Please contact support.velatura.org to request an Opt-Out form.
Can I change my mind about participating in GRAChIE?
Yes. If you decide to participate in GRAChIE now, and change your mind later, you can opt-out. Likewise, if you opt-out now, you can opt-in later and all your medical information will be available.
Contact support.velatura.org for all Opt-In and Opt-Out forms.
ABOUT GRAChIE
The Georgia Regional Academic Community Health Information Exchange (GRAChIE) serves healthcare organizations and providers across Georgia seamlessly bringing health information from one healthcare professional to another. GRAChIE provides health information in a secure, electronic format allowing healthcare professionals to appropriately access and securely share a patient’s health information electronically through EHR system.