Beacon Health Buys Into IT Group
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowBeacon Health System in South Bend now owns a stake in a northern Indiana health care IT organization. Ownership of MHIN, formerly Michiana Health Information Network, also includes Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center and The Medical Foundation. October 29, 2013
News Release
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – MHIN (formerly Michiana Health Information Network) proudly announces today that Beacon Health System has joined founders, Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center and The Medical Foundation (formerly South Bend Medical Foundation), as a third owner of the South Bend-based healthcare IT company.
Founded in the mid-1990s and incorporated in 1999, MHIN was envisioned by its owners to be a community resource to facilitate the secure sharing of health information and technology in support of higher quality, more efficient care. Since its inception, MHIN has grown into one of the leading health information organizations (HIO) in the nation, bringing unprecedented levels of connectivity and integration to healthcare providers in Indiana, Michigan, and surrounding parts of the Midwest.
With the increased focus on improving the overall health status of communities and populations through data and technology innovations, MHIN provides a critical resource to all the communities it serves.
“MHIN is an asset to our healthcare community. As a supporter of MHIN for many years and looking toward the future of population health and coordinated care, Beacon is proud to join Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center and The Medical Foundation as owners. With a united front in the community, we are putting our patients first with innovative technology and data management efficiencies,” said Steve Huffman, Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Beacon Health System.
Unlike many other HIOs that are largely dependent on federal and state grant funding in order to stay afloat, the commitment from MHIN's early founders allowed MHIN the opportunity to thrive under a sustainable business model. Beacon's most recent investment into the ownership of the company is a testament to that success and will further allow MHIN to grow and evolve with the needs of those it serves.
“We have certainly come a long way since our early days in the 1990s when MHIN was nothing but a mere idea. We believe our healthcare providers and our patients truly have a special experience because of what MHIN has been able to provide. The growth of the company through this finalization of a third owner means that MHIN has an even brighter future than we could have ever imagined so many years ago,” said Bob King, Senior Vice President of The Medical Foundation and the Chairman of the MHIN Board.
The expansion comes at a time of great change for the healthcare industry at large. Integrated and smart data is an invaluable tool for providers as they work collaboratively to manage populations in the new healthcare landscape. In keeping with its progressive nature, MHIN will build on its comprehensive data integration platform, offering new functions that will support providers to more effectively manage transitions of care and improve the health status of populations.
“It's with great excitement that we welcome Beacon as an owner of MHIN and plan collaboratively for the future use of clinical data to improve the health status of our community. It is through local collaboration that we can serve our community with high quality, coordinated healthcare services,” said Albert Gutierrez, president and CEO of Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center.
About MHIN
MHIN is one of the oldest and most successful health information exchanges and healthcare IT organizations in the United States. Based in South Bend, IN and serving healthcare providers across the Midwest, MHIN provides secure, timely delivery of relevant clinical information through a number of technology and communication solutions. MHIN streamlines secure access to data to improve quality and reduce costs. For more information, visit www.mhin.com.
About Beacon Health System
Beacon Health System is the nonprofit parent organization of Elkhart General Hospital and Memorial Hospital of South Bend, providing world-class care throughout North Central Indiana and Southwestern Michigan. Elkhart General Hospital and Memorial Hospital of South Bend, two accomplished medical legacies operating health care facilities in Elkhart, St. Joseph and LaPorte counties in Indiana, as well as in Michigan, have each delivered exceptional and compassionate care for more than 100 years. Together, Elkhart General Hospital and Memorial Hospital of South Bend employ more than 6,000 team members and volunteers and are staffed by nearly 1,000 physicians. As the largest, locally owned and operated health care system in the region, Beacon Health System is also a research and education organization, guiding clinical research trials for a variety of illnesses and helping train medical residents in the fields of family medicine and hospital pharmacy. For more information, please visit beaconhealthsystem.org.
About Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center
Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center (SJRMC) is a not-for-profit, multi-hospital healthcare system located in North Central Indiana, offering a full range of services. SJRMC includes: a 254-bed acute care hospital at our Mishawaka Campus; a 58-bed acute care hospital at our Plymouth Campus; a 40-bed Rehabilitation Institute; Outpatient services of the Elm Road Medical Campus; and the Saint Joseph Physician Network that includes 25 practices with more than 50 physicians. All inpatient rooms at all SJRMC facilities are private.
A Catholic Ministry Organization of Trinity Health, SJRMC offers personalized, faith-based care paired with the latest in advanced medical technology and procedures. In January 2012 SJRMC was named one of the nation's 15 Top Health Systems and awarded Top 5 for Small Health Systems. In July 2013, for the third year running, SJRMC was named one of the “Most Wired.” For more information, please visit www.sjmed.com.
About The Medical Foundation
The Medical Foundation is a not-for- profit regional laboratory serving Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Illinois. Specializing in areas of general health, Surgical Pathology, Flow Cytometry, Molecular Pathology and Blood Banking, The Medical Foundation has served as experts in laboratory medicine for over 100 years.
Our 750 employees are dedicated to serving the needs of local patients at our three local hospitals, as well as patients thought the regional territory we serve. For more information, please visit www.sbmf.org.
Source: MHIN