Governor Quinn Names Healthcare Veteran To Lead Illinois Health Information Exchange Authority

CHICAGO - September 14, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn announced the appointment of an accomplished healthcare industry administrator to serve as the first executive director of the Illinois Health Information Exchange Authority (HIE). Raul Recarey, will lead the state's efforts to establish a secure, accurate exchange of electronic health information.

"When health care professionals have access to a patient's comprehensive medical information, they can provide the best care possible," Governor Quinn said. "Raul Recarey has years of experience in the public and private health care industry, and I look forward to him building on our work to create a statewide health information exchange."

Recarey comes to Illinois from Missouri, where he was president of Missouri's Health Information Exchange, after having served as the chief operating officer and acting executive director of the West Virginia Health Information Network. Prior to that, Recarey was vice president of Health Programs at Wells Fargo Insurance Services. He also founded MedicorpCare, a consulting organization to help large, self-insured employer groups address rising healthcare costs; and he served as administrator for Miami General Hospital and has held executive positions with Best American Providers Inc., Managed Care of America PPO, Inc. and Medicorp, Inc. Recarey's appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.

"The healthcare field is in the midst of an exciting transition to electronic health records, and I look forward to working with the state's vibrant healthcare community to implement a Health Information Exchange that delivers on the promise of health information technology to provide improved care at lower cost, while assuring the privacy and security of personal health information," said Recarey.

The Illinois HIE Authority was created by statute in 2010 to operate a statewide electronic health information exchange. This system allows health care providers to exchange electronic health information in a secure environment to improve patient safety and treatment. More than 900 providers already share information securely through the Illinois HIE network, which is building the capacity to serve all providers statewide.

In addition, the HIE is developing additional services to provide authorized access to comprehensive medical records, prevent duplicate tests and procedures, and assure the accuracy of prescription drugs and other medical orders. The HIE Authority provides a long-term governance structure for Illinois' efforts to promote the widespread adoption and meaningful use of electronic health records for the improvement of health care quality and outcomes.

For more information about the state's health information exchange efforts and how health information technology can lead to safer, better, and more efficient care is available at hie.illinois.gov.