11/12/20
For Immediate Release

Media Contact: 
Emily Long, Public Affairs Coordinator
405-401-5290 | emily.long@okhca.org

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma is designing a statewide health information exchange to allow health information to flow securely to and from authorized organizations and individuals in Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Health Information Exchange (HIE) is intended to allow Oklahomans and their providers, hospitals and health systems, state health agencies and local health departments, health information business associates, and an increasingly inclusive ecosystem of human service organizations to have secure, accurate data available.

Benefits of a HIE include: improve patient safety by reducing medication and medical errors, prevent the duplication of tests and redundant collection of information from the patient, as well as improve public health reporting.

“Oklahoma has struggled for a decade to establish statewide interoperability with this data,” said Governor Kevin Stitt. “My business background has taught me the importance of accurate data to inform organizations how they can provide the best services to their customers.  When I took office, we started the process to look for a single vendor to come in with an established service line and proven track record to achieve this for Oklahomans, and we are in the final stages of awarding the contract.”

One of the primary components of information systems in healthcare are the computerized systems that allow healthcare organizations to be able to transmit as well as receive patient care information.

“The initial focus will be on the state’s Medicaid providers with a goal of working with all health agencies and providers in the state of Oklahoma.” Oklahoma Health Care Authority CEO and Secretary of Health and Mental Health, Kevin Corbett, expands, “These systems are essential in allowing healthcare organizations to work with one another, which will allow for the integration of healthcare organizations statewide, and possibly nationwide.”

Carter Kimble will transition from his current role as Deputy Secretary of Health and Mental Health to join OHCA as the Executive Director of the State Health Information Exchange. Kimble brings over a decade of experience in health policy working across the spectrum of healthcare including Medicaid, public health, graduate medical education and mental health.

“Having worked across state government, Carter brings a wealth of knowledge to OHCA as the new Executive Director of the State Health Information Exchange,” said Corbett. “We are eager to work with him to expand this initiative beyond our Medicaid providers into a much broader provider population with the goal of making Oklahoma a top ten state in healthcare.”

The health information exchange is expected to launch in the fall of 2021.

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About the Oklahoma Health Care Authority

The Oklahoma Health Care Authority administers two health programs for the state. The first is SoonerCare, Oklahoma’s Medicaid program. SoonerCare works to improve the health of qualified Oklahomans by ensuring that medically necessary benefits and services are available. Qualifying Oklahomans include certain low-income children, seniors, the disabled, those being treated for breast or cervical cancer and those seeking family planning services. The second program OHCA operates is Insure Oklahoma, which assists qualifying adults and small business employees in obtaining health care coverage for themselves and their families. Currently, there are 827,657 Oklahomans enrolled in OHCA’s programs. The agency contracts with a network of approximately 60,000 providers. For more information, visit www.okhca.org or www.insureoklahoma.org.