The Governor's Office of Health Care Reform will be using a $17.1 million federal Recovery Act grant to continue its work in developing an electronic system of health records that would connect health care practitioners, patients, facilities and pharmacies with a complete record of a patient's medical history.

A secure system is in the works that would coordinate accurate, complete and up-to-date medical information for Pennsylvania residents. Strategic planning is in its final stages. A new public authority to oversee the system is under discussion and implementation is expected across the next four years.

Ann Torregrossa, director of the health care reform office, in a statement announcing the receipt of the funds, called the system, known as PHIX (for the Pennsylvania Health Information Exchange), a superhighway that "will support patient-centered health care and improve access, quality and efficiency of care."

The grant is part of a $750 million American Reinvestment and Recovery Act initiative to increase capacity and expand health information technology across the country.

For more information on PHIX, see www.pahealthinfoexchange.com.

First Published: March 2, 2010, 5:00 a.m.