Nebraska Health Information Initiative

Nebraska Exchange Uses Axolotl's Elysium Exchange for improved Patient Care

San Jose, CA and Omaha, NE July 7, 2009 - NeHII, the Nebraska Health Information Initiative, has completed a successful pilot and joins in the ranks of the most successful statewide health information exchanges in the U.S. Through a flexible structure of federated technology provided by Axolotl Corp., NeHII now securely and instantly connects hospitals, labs, physicians, pharmacies, and clinics in serving approximately 645,000 patient lives. The 90-day pilot period followed an intensive implementation project initiated at the beginning of 2009, and focused on stakeholders and users in and around then metropolitan Omaha area.

As interest grows around stimulus funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 and the deployment of IT tools in health care, NeHII provides a solid example of rapid development achieved through high level collaboration among Nebraska's health care providers, along with skilled and experienced implementation management. NeHII has laid the foundation so that physicians and hospitals alike can apply for stimulus reimbursement for "meaningful use" of Electronic Health Record (EHR) technology and health information exchange (HIE).

Dr. Harris Frankel, a neurologist and president of the NeHII board of directors says, "The pilot has exceeded our wildest dreams. Axolotl's Elysium Exchange has proven to be highly effective in its simplicity and functionality. The ability to acquire and exchange health information in an efficient and secure manner is the cornerstone for transforming the delivery of health care to our patients."

Frankel adds, "As we continue with the statewide rollout, we anticipate a level of success equal to that of the pilot region. Already, we have many providers (physicians and hospitals) eagerly awaiting the ability to participate in the HIE."

NeHII provides for the secure electronic exchange of important clinical information among physicians and other health care providers. Health information systems and ambulatory physician EMRs, irrespective of vendor, are joined to create a clinical network, enabling standards-based exchange of data amongst treating physicians as well as with hospitals and other facilities. For physicians in the HIE that are not already electronic, Axolotl's CCHIT certified Elysium EMR optional provides them the tools they need for their practice, as well as the tools they need for their practice, as well as the tools to exchange data in their medical trading area. Throuh the Elysium Virtual Health Record (VHR), authorized providers are allowed instant access to all available patient medical records at the point of care, improving quality of health care among the state's residents while helping to control the escalating cost of health care in Nebraska and the U.S.

NeHII began its pilot in March of this year, and was publicly announced on April 2, 2009 in Lincoln, Nebraska at BryanLGH Medical Center. Nebraska governor Dave Heineman and Lt. Governor Rick Sheehy were on hand along with Dave Merritt, Project Director for the Center for Healthcare Transformation, a collaborative organization of public and private leaders led by former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

Merritt cited NeHII as "a model that other states and communities can and should follow to modernize their health systems with information technology."

Since March 2005, health care industry providers, executives and experts from across Nebraska have combined their efforts in building the NeHII framework to provide critical health care information at the point of care while giving physicians the information they need to make informed decisions on behalf of their patients. The project has been led by Bass & Associates.

"We are preparing for NeHII to expand quickly, given that we have a significant number of additional physicians, providers and other stakeholders in line to receive the benefits of the information exchange," said Debb Bass, NeHII Interim Executive Director and President and CEP of Bass & Associates, Inc.

Of the stimulus funding, Frankel says, "We believe the rollout to the rural communities will be accelerated by stimulus dollars made available through the ARRA and HITECH act. Future applications are expected to include interfacing with Medicaid's information systems, personal health and chronic disease platforms, as well as added applications to provide the necessary clinical analytics and decision support tools to enhance quality, patient safety, as well as "meaningful use" for those seeking related incentive payments. In the long run, we see Nebraska being a leader in the development of a National Inforamtion Network, especially as we attract new participants from around the region and beyond."

"NeHII has done a commendable job of organizing participants, putting together a working governance model and promoting physician adoption of health care IT," said Ray Scott, Axolotl's CEO. "They are a showcase to other states that are in the beginning stages of implementing a HIE."

About NeHII, Inc.

NeHII, Inc. is a non-profit organization with a public/private governance model that includes health care providers, payers, and the State of Nebraska. NeHII is a statewide Health Information Exchange designed to share clinical and administrative data among providers in Nebraska and neighboring states. NeHII's purpose is to achieve health care transformation through community betterment collaboration while protecting the security and privacy of medical information.

About Bass & Associates, a Division of Harbinger Partners, Inc.

Bass & Associates, a Division of Harbinger Partners, Inc., is based in Omaha, NE. Founded in 1993, Bass & Associagtes is a successful and experienced provider of award-winning information technology (IT) staff augmentation and outsource services with a specialty in Health Information Technology (HIT). Bass & Associates is the Omaha based name that has earned respect in the industry for professional business and technical consulting services. Recognized as the employer of choice, Bass & Associates, Inc. has recently gained national recognition with the successful implementation of NeHII, the statewide Health Information Exchange (HIE) in Nebraska and their work with the Office of the National Coordinator in Washington, DC to establish the definition of meaningful use of electronic health records for the Obama administration. The company's mission remains unchanged: to help its clients achieve success through long-term, benefit-driven partnerships. For more information about Bass & Associates, visit www.bass-inc.com.

About Axolotl Corp

Founded in 1995, Axolotl Corp. is North America's leading provider of browser-based products and services for secure health information exchange and management. Its award-winning Elysium Exchange suite of solutions enables health care providers to instantly share information, reduce costs, and improve quality and efficiency.

Elysium helps thousands of health care entities--including hospitals, health systems, regional health information organizations (RHIOs/HIEs), clinics, laboratories, radiology centers and physician practices--to securely exchange clinical information for more than 25 million patients. Elysium's community-wide Master Patient Index, EdgeServer(s), Interoperability Hub (I-Hub), Community Virtual Health Record (VHR), and certified ambulatory EMR with integrated e-Prescribing are all provided high-quality medical transcription services, rapid turnaround and total billing transparency using Elysium technology for report delivery.

Axolotl is based in San Jose, California and is best known for introducing Clinical Messaging, now at the heart of all health information exchange. For more information about Axolotl, see www.axolotl.com.

Contact:  Elvia Watts, Press Relations Manager, Axolotl Corp, 408-920-0800 x176, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it