CareSpark is an innovative effort underway in the central Appalachian region that is working to improve health through the collaborative use of health information. The CareSpark region includes 17 counties in the Tri-Cities Tennessee and Virginia area with approximately 750,000 residents, 21 hospitals, and 1,200 physicians.
CareSpark develops and operates a secure network that allows physician offices, hospitals, public health departments, pharmacies, laboratories, and imaging centers to communicate electronically in order to improve patient care and safety and reduce costs. The network supports programs for medication management, diagnostic services, preventative medicine, and disease management, supported by technology, training, clinical process improvement, and incentives.
Our mission is to improve the health of people in our region through the collaborative use of health information, enabling patients and health professionals to be better-informed and more engaged in decisions affecting personal health and wellness.
Project Goals
To support and enhance providers' capabilities to deliver quality care by providing relevant health information and by encouraging use of clinical best practices.
To empower the patient and consumer to make important decisions regarding prevention, treatment and lifestyle behaviors, including protection of privacy and confidentiality of personal information.
To align financial incentives through open and transparent reporting mechanisms that support informed decision-making and responsible choices for patients, providers and purchasers of health care.
To improve overall health status in the region by collecting de-identified aggregate data that allows us to target regional health problems and to define public health interventions.
