Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Steve Montgomery
smontgomery@oz-systems.com
214-212-0304

Alaska’s Newborn Bloodspot Screening Program Partners with OZ Systems:
First in Nation to Successfully Integrate Screening Programs

Anchorage, Alaska – The State of Alaska contracted with OZ Systems to provide an integrated Child Health Screening Record information system for their newborn metabolic screening (NBMS) and Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs.

OZ Systems’ Child Health Screening Record application, eSP™, is the most widely used EHDI data management application in the world. Its web-based design, security and confidentiality features, and modular functionality make it the first and best choice of the most successful newborn hearing programs around the globe. In 2006, OZ added functionality to the eSP™ platform to make newborn bloodspot data broadly available to the department of health and providers in a secure and HIPAA-compliant environment on a real-time basis.

“Alaska’s vision is to provide timely, accurate and comprehensive information useful to private health care providers, and public health officials,” said Terese Finitzo, OZ Systems CEO. “Because the history of integration efforts in public health is peppered with stories of stakeholder pushback, wasted resources, and inadequate solutions, Alaska is taking a measured and deliberate approach,” she added. The department’s intention is to raise the technical bar in child health information management.

Alaska’s program design is to import laboratory results daily for each child from the Oregon State laboratory, Alaska’s lab vendor. Care paths for individual tests are included so follow-up staff have easy access to needed next steps. “Just in time” information on a disorder for a medical home provider is also available via a link. Not every Alaska EHDI user needs access to NBS information on a child, including NBS notes and the audit trail embedded for quality assurance purposes. The system is role- and permission-based to assure confidentiality of the baby’s record.

Alaska’s integration of EHDI and NBS services ensures the patient and the provider are at the center of the systems. Neither program takes a backseat or is viewed as less critical. Access to information at each point of care is a priority.

The State procured and implemented OZ Systems’ commercial information system solution for the early hearing detection and intervention program in 2005. Currently Alaska hospitals are using OZ Systems’ web-based eSP™ (e-Screener Plus™) successfully for birth screening, reporting, communications and quality assurance efforts. Alaska’s audiologists also participate in entering follow-up and diagnostic information in children’s records they are authorized to view.

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