Health info group dissolved

WILKES-BARRE – An effort to establish a computerized database available to patients, doctors and health-care providers ended Wednesday with a board vote to dissolve the Northeastern Pennsylvania Regional Health Information Organization.

The organization formed last July was in the process of seeking non-profit status with the Internal Revenue Service, said board member Sabatini Monatesti. But the estimated $26,000 needed to cover the cost to achieve that designation was too much.

“The board made the decision because of the lack of community support and the lack of funding; they didn’t feel they could incur any additional expense,” Monatesti said.

He doubted whether anything could be salvaged from the past year’s work by numerous people to try to establish the regional RHIO.

“It’s bad news for the patients and citizens of Northeastern Pennsylvania,” said Monatesti, chief executive officer of ES Enterprises, a Wilkes-Barre-based e-health development firm.

He and others saw promise in the plan to set up the database not only as means to exchange information but also as a cost-saving measure that would eliminate unnecessary testing and services. The goal was for the NEPA RHIO to be self-sustaining and hosted by a neutral party, such as a university.

Since its formation last year, the board decreased from nine to seven members, Monatesti said. Five of them were present at Wednesday’s meeting and voted 4-0 to dissolve, with Monatesti abstaining.