Katrina Phoenix Project
The Katrina Phoenix Project is the leading component of the Society’s relief efforts for those affected by Hurricane Katrina. HIMSS is dedicated to rebuilding paper-based medical practices decimated in the hurricane-ravaged states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama with donations of electronic health record and/or practice management systems, hardware, and consulting services.
The Katrina Phoenix Project, initiated in September 2005, is focused on aiding paper-based medical practices decimated by Katrina by rebuilding with electronic health records (EHR). A 27-member, multi-disciplinary Advisory Committee of HIMSS leaders, physicians and healthcare administrators, HIMSS EHRVA, and Louisiana and Mississippi Quality Improvement Organization representatives coordinates EHR gifts, practice selection and implementation, services and mentoring to transition recipients to EHR-based care. Two Louisiana and three Mississippi practices are currently in the process of reconstitution. To participate in HIMSS Katrina Phoenix, contact David Collins at dcollins@himss.org.
Videos from the Katrina Phoenix Project
The video clips that appear below capture just a brief look at medical practices or clinics that have been rebuilt with an EMR and with assistance from the HIMSS Katrina Phoenix project. Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Region in 2005 and destroyed these locations. Each of these practices came back to function with new or remodeled buildings and with digital EMRs. Watch the videos to learn more about the benefits of the electronic medical record to these medical practices and the patients they serve.
Common Ground Health Clinic/New Orleans, La.
HIMSS partnered with this clinic that opened shortly after the 2005 Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Learn more about the work of this clinic as its staff strives to serve the citizens in the Algiers section of the city.
Primary Healthcare Associates/New Orleans, La.
A New Orleans physician, Dr. Shelton Barnes lost more than 5,000 medical records for his internal medicine practice during the flooding following Hurricane Katrina.
Coastal Family Health Center/Long Beach, Miss.
Learn how this community health clinic system rebounded from Hurricane Katrina and implemented an interoperable electronic health record for all of its 28 locations.
Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic, Bayou La Batre, Ala.
Dr. Regina Benjamin is the only physician for the 2,500 residents of Bayou La Batre, Ala. Her clinic, destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, has been rebuilt and continues to serve this community.
Waveland Medical Center, Waveland, Miss.
Dr. Roberta Chiliamiagras and her staff never left Waveland, Miss. after the hurricane; they treated patients and reconstructed the building…and the practice…to provide care.
Grant Approval Process
Practices have been identified by the respective Quality Improvement Organizations in each state. Alternatively, if a practice contacts a member of the Katrina Phoenix Advisory Board directly, they will be considered.Upon identification, the practice is requested to complete the Data Demographics form and Needs Assessment form developed by the Katrina Phoenix Advisory Board.
Upon completion, these forms are reviewed by the Advisory Board to determine if the respective practice received significant damage from Hurricane Katrina, specifically loss of a high percentage of their paper medical records.
A physician mentor will be assigned to the practice to discuss at a high-level the benefits and lessons learned from implementation of health information technology, emphasizing the effort involved. This call will facilitate both the beginning of the mentor relationship, and act as an assessment to determine if the physician and respective practice are truly engaged in wanting to adopt HIT or they are an “enthusiastic shopper.”
Once it is determined that the practice is committed to the Katrina Phoenix project, an EMR vendor donation gift is matched to the practice based on the best fit and assessment by the Advisory Board and mentor. A WebEx demo is then provided of the EMR to the practice. As well, hardware inventory is collected and an IT skills assessment and workflow analysis forms are completed.
Grantees
Bayou Clinic, Inc.
Bayou La Batre, AL
Robert Kenny, MD
New Orleans, LA
Shelton Barnes, MD
New Orleans, LA
Coast Heart Institute, PLLC
Gulfport, MS
Waveland Medical Center
Waveland, MS
Contributing EHR vendors
• A4 Health Systems• Companion Technologies
• Greenway Medical Technologies
• HealthLanguage
• InteGreat
• JMJ Technologies
• Lakes Health Systems "MerCure"
• MD Synergy
• MedcomSoft
• MedicAlert Foundation
• MediNotes Corporation
• Medpracticeflow
• MedQuist
• Misys Healthcare
• Optimal Practice Solutions
• OptimizeIT
• Practice Partner (PMSI)
• RedMedic
• SoapWare
• SRIT
• TeleVital