What is the LMVPHO?
Lower Merrimac Valley Physician Hospital Organization (LMVPHO) is made up of approximately 200 local physicians and Anna Jaques Hospital.
Its purpose is to advocate for high quality patient care through such efforts as implementation of the newly created health information network (Wellport), appropriate HMO contracting terms, and support of physician office initiatives.
Additionally, LMVPHO serves you, the healthcare consumer, by seeking to address the high cost of healthcare by identifying safe, appropriate, yet cost effective approaches to diagnosis and treatment. By helping to bring the cost of healthcare under control while maintaining a high degree of quality and safety, LMVPHO works to be a part of the healthcare solution.
LMVPHO was established in 2001 as a partnership between Anna Jaques Hospital and Whittier Independent Practice Association (IPA) which represents approximately 200 physicians in the greater Newburyport and Haverhill area. The physician members include primary care physicians, medical and surgical specialists, psychiatrists, and hospital based physicians (radiologists, pathologists, anesthesiologists, and hospitalists).
Mission
LMVPHO's mission is to support and foster high quality, safe, and cost-effective healthcare and to collaborate with member physicians and Anna Jaques Hospital to identify opportunities to reengineer community-wide systems and processes with the goal of overall improvement in patient care.
Improving Community-Based Healthcare Through the Use of IT
LMVPHO feels, as do many experts locally and nationwide, that the expanded use of information technology (IT) is critical if significant improvements in healthcare delivery are to be made. LMVPHO, with the assistance and support of the Mass.eHealth Collaborative, has created a community-wide electronic health information network in Greater Newburyport called Wellport. Over time, the functionality of the Wellport network will include:
- the electronic exchange of lab and imaging results.
- electronic prescribing.
- secure point-to-point transfer of health information from provider to provider.
- the establishment of a personal health record through which patients will be able to access, modify, and organize their own health care information and that of minor children, elderly parents etc.
- access to important healthcare information (shared health summary) by authorized providers at the point of care. The shared health summary includes information such as allergies, medications, problem list, past medical and surgical history, hospitalizations, immunizations, lab results, and imaging results and is stored centrally in a secure, encrypted data base.
- provider access to medical reference material at the point of care.
- electronic decision support tools including automatic reminders with regard to allergies, drug interactions, best practices etc.
In addition to the hardware and software which drives the health information network, detailed policies and procedures have been produced which deal with such issues as privacy and security, appropriate user access and auditing, and user education and certification.
To learn how to participate please visit
The Significance of an Electronic Health Information Network
- Allows medical providers timely access to important health information at home, in the office, and in the hospital 24 hours per day and seven days per week making correct diagnoses more likely and medical errors less likely.
- Permits the transfer of information from provider to provider in a more seamless manner making errors less likely.
- Information regarding current medications is more accurately documented as patients travel from inpatient to outpatient settings and from provider to provider.
- Disease management protocols can be instituted and accomplished more reliably and more reproducibly.
- Adverse reactions related to allergy or drug interactions are less likely.
- Physician to physician communication is facilitated and streamlined.
- The patient can become considerably more involved in their own care using their personal health record (MyWellport) to review lists of medications, lab and imaging results, appointments, appropriate timing of recommended disease prevention screening tests, and to more conveniently communicate with their physician.
- May reduce the cost of healthcare by reducing the need for repeat diagnostic testing, by making information available to physicians and patients regarding alternative, lower cost treatment options, and by reducing complications of chronic diseases through more focused and more timely disease management.
LMVPHO Healthcare Improvement Initiatives
LMVPHO believes that prevention of disease is an essential aspect of healthcare. We, therefore, applied for and received the following grants:
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Quality Grants
- 2008: Improve diabetic screening using an electronic health information network (Wellport) & electronic personal health records (MyWellport).
- 2007: Utilization of a health information network to improve cholesterol screening in patients with heart disease.
- 2006: Enhance preventative healthcare utilizing office champions & electronic health records.
- 2003: Identify and treat adolescents at risk for anxiety related health issues.
- 2002: Increase the rate of breast cancer screening.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
- 2005: One of three communities in Massachusetts selected to participate in the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative (MAeHC) first demonstration project testing community-wide implementation of electronic health records (EHRs). The pilot project was made possible through a $50 million Grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.
Awards
- 2008 Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Physician Group Honor Roll
- Excellence in Pediatric Preventative & Chronic Illness Care
- 2007 Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Physician Group Honor Roll
- Excellence in Adult Preventative & Chronic Illness Care
- Excellence in Pediatric Preventative & Chronic Illness Care
- 2004 Tufts Health Plan Certificate of Excellence
- Excellence in Adult Care Measures
- Excellence in Pediatric Care Measures
- 2003 Tufts Health Plan Certificate of Excellence
- Excellence in Adult Care Measures
- Excellence in Pediatric Care Measures
- 2004 Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Physician Group Honor Roll
- Excellence in Adult Preventative & Chronic Illness Care
- Excellence in Pediatric Preventative & Chronic Illness Care
Leadership and Staff
Whittier IPA, Inc. (IPA)IPA Board of Directors Kevin Lanphear, DO President DirectorsDaryl Colden, MD |
Lower Merrimac Valley PHO, Inc. (LMVPHO)PHO Board of DirectorsKevin Lanphear, DO President DirectorsDelia O'Connor, President, CEO, Anna Jaques Hospital |
LMVPHO and IPA STAFF
| Matthew Whalen | Executive Director |
| Michele Riopel, RN | Community eHealth Liaison |
| Debbie Romanshyn | Administrative Asst. /Financial Coordinator |
| Katie Schutz | Quality and Utilization Coordinator |
| Annette Fotino | Administrative Assistant |
Acknowledgments
Wellport
The Lower Merrimac Valley Physician Hospital Organization (LMVPHO) has created a subsidiary organization called Wellport. It was organized to oversee and manage the Community Health Information Network. Wellport is indebted to the many people who have contributed to its various groups, councils and committees. Special thanks to those individuals, listed below:
| Wesley Barry | Rick Mindess, MD | |
| Bob Buchanan | Tracy Mindess | |
| Tara Clifford | John Nestor, PhD | |
| Nicholas Costello | Maria Palumbo | |
| Allan DesRosiers | Tom Pendergast | |
| Doreen Fay, Ed.D | Ruth Pothier | |
| Lisa Fenichel | Michele Riopel, RN | |
| Annette Fotino | Louis Rubenfeld | |
| Mark Goldstein | Katie Schutz | |
| Joe Heyman, MD | Nancy Spaulding | |
| Donna Holaday | Becky Vigneault, RN | |
| Dorothy LaFrance | Gunter Waehling | |
| Kevin Lanphear, DO | Matt Whalen | |
| Stephanie McCowan | Mark Wright | |
| Mark Miller |