ACS to develop and maintain the Kentucky Health Information Exchange

Affiliated Computer Services, Inc. (NYSE: ACS), today announced that it has been awarded a contract that will help improve the quality of healthcare in Kentucky by providing physicians with a more complete picture of a patient’s medical history.

ACS will develop and maintain the initial phases of the Kentucky Health Information Exchange (KHIE), a system that will allow electronic medical data to be exchanged between hospitals, health care practitioners and the Kentucky Department for Medicaid Services. The three-year contract is valued at $4.5 million.

“The use of the KHIE will promote continuity of care and facilitate communication and exchange of critical health information between the patient’s primary care provider and other health care providers,” said Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear.

The system will connect healthcare providers by providing instantaneous access to items such as laboratory and image reports, medication histories, allergy histories, past medical diagnoses, hospital stays and immunizations.

“ACS has the tools to create a 21st century high-performance healthcare system,” said Christopher Deelsnyder, senior vice president and managing director, ACS Government Healthcare Solutions. “ACS’ approach to the Commonwealth’s Health Information Exchange will transform healthcare by improving patient outcomes, eliminating administrative burdens and lowering the cost of care.”

The kick-off launch of KHIE was conducted with stakeholders on Oct. 2 for the pilot project which is funded through a Medicaid Transformation Grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which will support the initial phases of development of KHIE and its pilot implementation. The state will seek American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for statewide expansion.

“ACS’ healthcare solutions support the entire span of the healthcare ecosystem, adding value for providers, payers and government agencies,” said Joseph Doherty, executive vice president and group president, ACS Government Solutions. “In the face of economic change and as stimulus funding becomes available, we are working closely with state and federal agencies to ensure that they can take advantage of flexible, cost-effective healthcare strategies.”