Improving health through information exchange

Eight years ago, the Paso del Norte Health Foundation (Health Foundation) was one of several leaders in the community that founded the Paso del Norte Health Information Exchange (PHIX) – a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established to improve health through collaboration and data technology. Today, PHIX is a robust network of health care providers that share health information electronically through a highly secure technology platform designed to ensure that providers have the data they need to provide patients with the best possible clinical care.

Current PHIX partners include City of El Paso Department of Public Health, El Paso Children’s Hospital, El Paso County Medical Society, El Paso Health, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso, The Hospitals of Providence, University Medical Center of El Paso, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Veterans Administration among a growing list of community clinics and physicians in private practice.

PHIX recently welcomed two new partners to the exchange: Emergence Health Network and Project Vida Health Center. These two new connections enable participating hospitals and providers in the El Paso community access to their patients’ records securely and electronically from across the community in one place with the patient’s consent.

Emily Hartmann, Executive Director of PHIX, has led the organization’s significant growth over the last two years. She was recently appointed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott to the Texas Health Services Authority Board of Directors.

The Health Foundation has supported PHIX with grant funding to help establish the organization and to expand services and impact, including connecting of the Veterans Administration (VA) to facilitate care coordination between the VA and community hospitals and providers. The Health Foundation previously provided in-kind services, including staffing and administrative support. Tracy Yellen, Health Foundation CEO, serves on the PHIX board.

For more information, please contact Emily Hartmann at 915-242-0674 or visit www.phixnetwork.org.