Louisiana begins linking rural hospitals

Government Health IT, May 21, 2008

Richland Parish Hospital in Delhi, LA, has become the first rural healthcare facility in the state to transmit patient information to a statewide health information exchange. The hospital successfully sent data to the Louisiana Rural Health Information Exchange, which serves as a repository for patient information. The Delhi Hospital transmitted clinical information, patient information and radiological images via Health Level 7 messaging. The ability to consult with a specialist remotely would save a patient in Delhi about a two-and-a-half-hour drive to Shreveport, said hospital representatives.