Maryland's Three Largest Hospital Systems and Erickson Retirement Communities Collaborate...

Maryland's Three Largest Hospital Systems and Erickson Retirement Communities Collaborate on Health Information Exchange

CATONSVILLE, Md.--(Business Wire)--
Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley has announced that a joint
venture of Erickson Retirement Communities, Johns Hopkins Medicine,
MedStar Health, and the University of Maryland Medical System has won
the support of the Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) to plan for
the state-wide Health Information Exchange.

CRISP (Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients), a
non-profit joint venture formed by the four partner organizations,
will be supported with $250,000 from the Health Services Cost Review
Commission (HSCRC) funded through the hospital rate setting system. It
will develop recommendations on a broad range of policies, principles,
and designs for the secure exchange of patient information across
multiple provider settings.

"Our team is thrilled to work with the Maryland Health Care
Commission and all healthcare stakeholders throughout Maryland to put
innovative technology to work for improving our patients' care," said
John C. Erickson, Chairman and CEO of Erickson Retirement Communities.
"CRISP is another stride towards establishing Maryland as a leader in
American healthcare--I applaud the leadership at our hospital partners
and in State government for their vision."

Benefits of Health Information Exchange the exchange include
improved turnaround times for retrieval of current patient data,
reduction in redundant or unnecessary paperwork, and minimization of
adverse drug interactions and allergies. Over time, these benefit lead
to improved outcomes and lower costs. CRISP will also seek to develop
robust framework for ensuring each participating patient's privacy and
security.

The joint venture grew out of conversations in 2006 among the four
partner organizations about how to leverage technology to improve the
quality of care for Maryland patients. A number of other stakeholders
have agreed to participate in the CRISP initiative, including:

Consulting Partners

-- Audacious Inquiry

-- Dynamed Solutions

-- Ober/Kaler

Technology Partners

-- GE Healthcare

-- Microsoft

-- HealthUnity

Other Participants

-- The Summit Health Institute for Research and Education, Inc.

-- Baltimore Medical System

-- The Shepherd's Clinic

Erickson Retirement Communities
Mel Tansill
Senior Director of Corporate Public Affairs
410-402-2006

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