STATE OF REFORM SPEAKERS HIGHLIGHTED ON KUOW

Peter Gelpi, CEO of Clarity Health Services, and Richard Onizuka, Director of Health Care Policy at the Health Care Authority are some pretty smart folks when it comes to health care.  In fact, we’re so impressed with them that we’ve got them both on the hook to speak at our event on January 4th!

But, we’re not the only ones who think they’re pretty smart.  Today, NPR highlighted them both in a piece titled Bridging The Health Information Divide.

“Richard Onizuka is director of health policy for the State Health Care Authority. He says some medical groups have come together to form their own way of exchanging information. There’s a patchwork of exchanges around the state, but they’re fragmented. Data only travels within those groups, not necessarily to health providers outside the network.

Onizuka: “To use a freeway analogy: there may be local freeways, local traffic patterns, and there may be one in Spokane, and there may be one in Wenatchee. We’re building the freeway between the two so that folks in Spokane who are driving on this freeway can get to folks in Wenatchee.”

Washington has received more than $11 million in federal grants to build this “freeway.” The health information exchange allows doctors to share patient records with health providers around the state. The exchange is up and running, but it’s still in the testing phase. So far, more than half a dozen providers have signed on.”

This and more at our event in just over two weeks!