CLEARWATER, Fla., Jan. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Senior Home Care, Inc. today announced it has been selected to join Florida's Health Information Exchange (HIE). The company is part of a network of individual health care providers, now totaling 22 participants, which will electronically share patient information within their network and, ultimately, with other networks across the state. 

Senior Home Care was selected to join the exchange because of its technological readiness for secured sharing of patient health information with other participants in the Florida HIE.

The benefit to patients is that all their participating providers can access their complete medical record, including up-to-date documents, medications and test results that may have been ordered by another physician or facility. Providers who are part of the HIE access patient records only after patients consent, so patients are encouraged to review their status and discuss questions they have with their health care provider.

"Our company made a significant commitment early on to implement an innovative technological platform for maintaining, sharing and integrating the Electronic Health Record (EHR) of our patients," stated Robert Fusco, Senior Home Care's Chief Executive Officer. "That has positioned Senior Home Care among the first providers to join the Florida Information Exchange, and is important as we partner with Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and other health care organizations."

He continued, "Connecting acute and post-acute care providers helps patients receive the most suitable care, at the right time with the right clinician. We believe the Florida HIE is a critical component of an integrated solution to improve the quality of health care through better outcomes, lower costs with excellent patient satisfaction."

In a January 14, 2013 announcement, the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration encouraged patients to ask their health care providers to increase communication through the sharing of EHR. The agency is contracted with Harris Corporation to assist with the development of the HIE infrastructure that will connect health organizations and the state's 67 county health departments. For more information, see http://ahca.myflorida.com/Executive/Communications/Press_Releases/pdf/HIE_Fifth_Round_Participants.pdf.

About Florida Health Information Exchange (HIE)
Florida HIE (www.florida-hie.net) provides health entities with a timely, secure and authorized exchange of patient health information for treatment purposes. The services offered by the Florida Health Information Exchange (HIE) are based on national standards for secure exchange of health information.

About the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA)
The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (www.ahca.myflorida.com) is committed to better health care for all Floridians. The Agency administers Florida's Medicaid program, licenses and regulates more than 45,000 health care facilities and 37 health maintenance organizations, and publishes health care data and statistics at www.floridahealthfinder.gov.

Senior Home Care, Inc. has been treating seniors throughout Florida and Louisiana with quality home health care services since 1994. With nearly 50 branch locations (Senior Home Care in Florida and Synergy Home Care in Louisiana) and 1,800 employees, the company is one of the largest home health care providers in the Southeast. Working in conjunction with patients' physicians, Senior Home Care's nurses and clinicians treat more than 50,000 seniors each year in their homes and assisted/independent living facilities. The company's mission is to provide quality patient care in a compassionate and ethical manner while encouraging a lifestyle of independence. For more information, visit www.seniorhomecare.net.

SOURCE Senior Home Care, Inc.