The hospitals and physicians who participate in Rush Health are now able to use Rush Health Connect, a technology and service platform that facilitates the secure, efficient and effective sharing and use of electronic health information when and where is it needed to improve the health outcomes, health care quality and at lower cost to the patients we serve. The Rush Health Connect services ensure the right electronic information is available to the right people at the right time across the continuum of care to support the care you need. The Rush Health Connect components include:

1. Interoperability and Electronic Health Record Optimization Services – Support services for all members on how to use their Electronic Health Records to share and exchange data, and to effectively electronically document and manage your care.
2. Health Information Exchange Services – A central hub where standard data is exchanged and shared across the continuum of care designed to allow hospitals, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers to communicate about patients electronically in a secure and timely manner for treatment, payment and healthcare operations.
3. Analytic Warehouse and Reporting – Comprehensive financial and clinical information is aggregated and our providers are provided performance reports and analytic tools that track and measure outcomes, quality and cost.
4. Population Health Software and Services – Care management software and services that facilitate access to care, care planning, care coordination and engagement with our patients. Rush Health Connect provides software tools to physicians and patients that makes your care easier to manage.

With Rush Health Connect, Rush Health medical professionals who are part of your care team should have faster and more complete access to information about your healthcare. For example, Rush Health Connect lets your medical professionals communicate about your medical history, including your existing and prior health conditions, allergies, test results and medications.

Your medical information available on Rush Health Connect is carefully protected and will be used only for treatment, payment and healthcare operations.. Rush Health Connect is designed to comply with all applicable state and federal privacy and security laws and regulations, including the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) – which also applies to hospital and physician providers.

Hospitals, physicians and other healthcare professionals treating you will be able to access and exchange portions of your medical records through Rush Health Connect. Rush Health can also use your records to help providers receive payment for your care from insurance companies and to conduct healthcare operations.

State and Federal laws have special protection for certain highly sensitive information including:

Rush Health has worked with its participants to comply with the different legal requirements for each type of highly sensitive information so it generally will not be available through Rush Health Connect for treatment. However, some highly sensitive information may be used by Rush Health for payment and healthcare operations to the extent permitted by law.

There is no need to sign up. Your medical information is already accessible to your Rush Health provider in the Rush Health Connect, unless you previously told your physician or healthcare provider you did not want your information shared for treatment with other healthcare providers and completed an opt-out form at your provider’s office.

Opting out means that your information will not be available through Rush Health Connect for treatment even in an emergency. If you want to opt-out now, you should contact your Rush Health provider, complete the opt-out form it will give you and return the form to your provider for transmission to Rush Health. Information received prior to an opt-out being processed is likely to remain in the provider’s records. If later you reverse your opt-out, information from the period of your opt-out may become available to your providers for treatment. Opting out does not prevent Rush Health from using your information for payment and healthcare operations purposes.

Participation in Rush Health Connect is voluntary. Your choice to opt-out of Rush Health Connect will not affect your ability to receive medical care from any provider. Opting out of Rush Health Connect will not affect the ability of your healthcare providers to receive your health information from other healthcare providers using other methods permitted by law, such as fax or email.

We look forward to sharing the benefits of Rush Health Connect with you and the network of Rush Health providers.