The Indian Health Service Health Information Technology Modernization Program continued to prioritize collaboration and engagement with the second tribal consultation and urban confer for this year that was held on August 7. Participants from across Indian Country joined the session virtually to hear about PATH EHR scope and capabilities. Program leaders focused on PATH EHR benefits and the value it adds to clinicians and patients.
The session focused on program updates, including an overview of PATH EHR, highlighting its features as a secure, scalable, and configurable solution. IHS Chief Information Officer Mitchell Thornbrugh provided an update on the IHS and Lawton Service Unit collaboration, the 2025 implementation timeline, and recent Modernization Program activities. These activities included the enterprise design workshops, Site Leader Kick-off, Current State Review, and the Pathway to PATH event with site staff.
Chief Medical Information Officer Dr. Howard Hays provided updates on the Enterprise Collaboration Group, which gathers insights from subject matter experts who are end-users of PATH EHR. The ECG members participate in key design decisions and domain preparation, design workshops, and ongoing workflow reviews.
The team also reviewed the PATH EHR scope and capabilities, with vendor Clinical Informatics Lead Jonathan White introducing the key features, the value of PATH EHR for clinicians and patients, and the PATH EHR solution set.
The value of PATH EHR for clinicians includes:
- Navigate the system with ease
- Reduce administrative burden with industry-standard processes
- Use advanced analytics and population health insights for improved patient outcomes
The value of PATH EHR for patients includes:
- Schedule appointments more quickly
- Streamline telehealth visits and referral process
- Access to records, test results, and referrals with ease
- Integrate health data across the IHS, tribal, and urban Indian organizations
PATH EHR vendor Healthcare Executive Dr. Thomas Mahoney brought to life key capabilities of PATH EHR by walking through a patient journey. He highlighted that before the appointment, a patient can log into the portal to remind them of the date and time of their upcoming appointment. The day of the appointment, the front desk staff can see that the patient has completed the pre-visit information; the clinician reviewed the patient chart, ordered a lipid panel, and entered a referral.
The tribal consultation and urban confer session concluded with an open dialogue between program leaders, tribal, and urban Indian organization partners. Attendees asked questions related to PATH EHR features, training expectations, and additional engagement opportunities.
Attendees were invited to participate in the five-minute Health IT Modernization Awareness Survey, which helps provide insight into the reach of the Division of Health Information Technology Modernization and Operations engagement efforts.
We appreciate the collaboration with our partners and want to continue to provide ongoing updates on PATH EHR configuration.
Stay Connected with the Health IT Modernization Program
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Register for 2025 Tribal Consultation and Urban Confer Sessions With the last Health IT Modernization Program Tribal Consultation and Urban Confer sessions planned for 2025, we are committed to connecting and collaborating with partners through informative sessions and open forums. Register now using the link below:
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Statement of Interest (SOI) We invite tribal and urban Indian organizations to complete a non-binding document to help IHS understand which sites are interested in becoming part of the PATH EHR collaboration. The SOI form may be submitted by email to modernization@ihs.gov at any time. Federal sites are not required to complete the SOI form. |
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Health IT Modernization Awareness Survey The Health IT Modernization Program Awareness Survey intends to measure the effectiveness of the Program's communications, assess our partners' awareness and perception regarding PATH EHR, and determine tribal and urban partners' interest in actively participating in Program initiatives. The input you provide through this survey provides the IHS with invaluable insight into the reach of our engagement efforts across Indian Country, helping us enhance the circulation of information about PATH EHR implementation. Take the survey here. |
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