Organizational alignment will serve the needs of both parties’ shared and expanding healthcare and healthcare education membership base with a scalable, integrated offering of products and services

PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — OCHIN, a nonprofit national leader in quality health information technology, has just announced its acquisition of Oregon Health Network (OHN), a Portland, Oregon-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the quality, access, and delivery of healthcare to all Oregonians. The two entities have determined that their complementary, mission-led organizations could better serve their respective missions and the combined needs of the healthcare and healthcare education community through this organizational alignment, which will become effective April 1, 2013.

“Our nation’s healthcare landscape is in the midst of a massive redesign effort,” stated Kim Lamb, OHN’s executive director. “This reform effort requires that healthcare and healthcare education providers completely retool their business, care, and education model systems. The only way to achieve success in this environment is to have all members of the healthcare continuum—including the associations and service providers that support the healthcare provider community—streamline and simplify their efforts and offerings to ensure that every healthcare provider and community makes it to the finish line. Through this alignment, we will help them do just that.”

Both organizations see a natural, innovative alignment of complementary operations and services to more effectively address the immediate needs of the providers, hospitals, patients, and healthcare educators who are shaping this new, coordinated care landscape. Their combined services offering includes:

• Health IT-related advocacy
• Connectivity
• Consulting
• Federal and state program funding, management, and administration
• Hosted services and solutions
• Research and innovation
• Thought leadership

“We are pleased to welcome Oregon Health Network to the OCHIN family,” stated Abby Sears, OCHIN’s CEO. “OHN’s infrastructure and knowledgeable staff are a perfect complement to OCHIN’s EHR, data analytics, quality, and clinical improvement expertise. Together, we will have an immediate impact on healthcare delivery and service.”

Dr. Dick Gibson, chief healthcare intelligence officer with Providence Health & Services and founding OHN board chair said, “Since the inception of OHN, the organization’s leadership and board have anticipated the future need to expand upon our existing service offering or possibly strategically align with other organizations to better serve the needs of our members. On behalf of the board, I am proud of the work and progress that the OHN staff, board, volunteer, and membership base have already achieved to date, and I look forward to the next stage in OHN’s development.”

Bob Marsalli, Montana Primary Care Association CEO and OCHIN board chair said, “It’s time for change in our industry. Uniting forces and collaborating with healthcare and external partners will improve patient care and lower healthcare costs. I am proud of OCHIN and OHN for making this extraordinary alignment decision.”

About OCHIN
Established in 2000 through a partnership with CareOregon, the Oregon Primary Care Association, Multnomah County Health Department, Clackamas County Health Department, and Virginia Garcia Health Clinics, OCHIN became an independent nonprofit in 2002. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, OCHIN is one of the nation’s largest Health Information Networks and is recognized for its innovative use of Health IT to improve the integration and delivery of healthcare services across a wide variety of practices. With an historical emphasis on safety net clinics and small practices, OCHIN has expanded to include private practice provider and specialists. To date, OCHIN operates in 14 states and supports 70 health center networks and over 4,500 medical providers who serve over a 2.5 million patients.

About Oregon Health Network
Oregon Health Network (OHN) is a member-based, 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to improve the quality, access, and delivery of healthcare to all Oregonians via a variety of services to its 228 member facilities: enhanced broadband connectivity, health best practices, hosted services, and advocacy. A nationally top performing Federal Communications Commission Rural Health Care Pilot Program, (RHCPP), OHN was founded in 2007. OHN’s scalable and statewide broadband infrastructure supports the coordination of care among Oregon’s physicians, allied providers, clinics, health organizations, educators, students, and government agencies. For more information, visit www.oregonhealthnet.org.

Media inquiries:
haughtonpittsr@ochin.org
503.784.2284

SOURCE OCHIN