The Rhode Island Quality Institute — which operates CurrentCare, the state's health information exchange — partnered with Providence (R.I.) Veterans Affairs Medical Center on May 5, according to Providence Journal.
Under the agreement, the VA will integrate clinical information from its national database with CurrentCare, Providence Journal reports. The partnership is part of a new project, called Health Care Coordination for Rhode Island Veterans, which enables two-way exchange of patient information among healthcare facilities in Rhode Island.
To participate in the exchange, veterans must individually enroll in CurrentCare and the VA's Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record Health Information Exchange programs.
"Many veterans receive care both in the VA system and from non-VA community providers," Paul Pirraglia, MD, chief of primary care at Providence VA Medical Center, told Providence Journal. "Coordination of care is critical to care quality and patient safety."