LUMBERTON — Southeastern Health is one of five founding members of the Coastal Connect Health Information Exchange, whose collaborative efforts have received national recognition. The exchange was named 2013 Member Achievement Award winner in the community impact and innovation category by Amerinet, a national health-care solutions organization.

As one of founding hospitals, Southeastern Health played a role in the technology’s implementation and community roll-out. The exchange uses technology that creates a secure connection between unaffiliated hospitals and practices for the exchange of real-time results and patient referral tracking as well as secure, role-based access to inpatient encounters.

The build-out of the exchange’s functionality has spanned 11 counties throughout Southeastern North Carolina. In 18 months and with a staff of under 10, the exchange has connected 201 unaffiliated practices representing 715 providers, and five unaffiliated hospitals. From its beginnings in 2009, the exchange has worked to improve the health of residents of Eastern North Carolina by distributing secure and confidential electronic health care information among providers and consumers.