About C3HIE

Hunt Regional Healthcare is now live with C3HIE—the health information exchange for North, South, and West Texas regions—marking a milestone for Hunt County and surrounding areas in which doctors and health care providers will now have electronic access to patient records from other providers. This is especially important in the event of a medical emergency.

C3HIE’s infrastructure is built to ensure the privacy and security of the patient’s record. The data is secure, encrypted, both at rest and in transit, and meets all federal and state requirements for privacy and security.

You already depend on the latest technology to help keep you healthy. So, why not use it to help keep better track of your health records too?

C3HIE is a non-profit organization that works closely with major healthcare providers in our region to establish a secure and patient-oriented Health Information Exchange. Our mission is to improve access to healthcare information for Texas families. There are many advantages to streamlining the flow of healthcare information. However, you can choose whether your information is shared in this system.

Healthcare providers and insurers can share your health information by telephone, fax or mail or through limited computer networks. It’s time-consuming, not the most reliable, and still may not provide complete records.

C3HIE’s services allow providers to locate records from other providers in a matter of minutes. This gives them a more complete and accurate record of your health improving outcomes.

  • Better flow of information in emergencies.
  • No need to keep paper copies from every visit.
  • Your doctor will have a more complete picture of your health concerns and medications.
  • When changing doctors or seeing specialists, your records are there when they need them.
  • Eliminate duplicate tests and procedures.
  • Avoid less secure means of sending patient information, like fax, phone, or hand carrying.
  • Gain immediate access in emergencies to critical information like allergies, diagnosis, and medications.
  • Merge medical histories from different organizations.
  • Better manage chronic diseases and make more informed treatment decisions.
  • Support data collection to identify community trends and improve healthcare for all.
C3HIE is legally prohibited from using your information in an unauthorized manner. We can’t sell personal information for any reason.

State and federal guidelines are in place to protect you. Unauthorized access violates Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standards and is punishable by law. Technical safeguards include encryption, password protection, and the ability to limit and monitor access to the system. All providers who participate in C3HIE must be trained and agree to follow these policies.

C3HIE is fully prepared in the case of a security breach and routinely audits and identifies each user who views your record, to minimize the chance of unauthorized access. You have the right to request a copy of who has viewed your account at any time by contacting C3HIE at info@C3HIE.org.

Yes. The decision not to participate in C3HIE is called “opting out.” If you opt-out, your health information will not be available through C3HIE. Only your name, address, gender, date of birth, and opt-out status will be viewable.

Your decision to opt-out of C3HIE will not affect your ability to receive healthcare. It applies only to sharing your information through C3HIE. It does not affect other authorized sharing of health information between your providers.

To opt-out of C3HIE, just tell them at Registration/Front desk that you do not want your health records shared electronically through the health information exchange.

If you opt-out, your providers may have less information available when providing care, including when you travel, change providers, or in emergency situations.

Yes. Just reach back out to your provider Registration/Front desk and tell them you want to opt back into the health information exchange.

You can find a current list of participants at www.C3HIE.org/connections/. Participating providers may notify you that they contribute to C3HIE by visible indicators in their waiting rooms or offices. Limited information may be also used for community health purposes to identify health trends, assess service needs, and offer health management services for appropriate patients. C3HIE staff and contractors will have access to provide technical and administrative support. All-access will be strictly on a need-to-know basis.

Your providers determine what information will be sent to C3HIE. Depending upon what date your provider joined C3HIE, your records may not be complete. Types of information your provider may share with C3HIE include:

  • Lab and x-ray results
  • Medication and immunization history
  • Transcribed diagnostic and treatment records
  • Records of allergies and drug reactions
  • Other transcribed clinical reports

Special consideration is given to information such as drug use, mental health issues, and other sensitive diagnoses. C3HIE makes every effort to ensure that confidential information is blocked from inappropriate viewing. Due to system limitations, certain participating providers are limited in blocking sensitive information at this time. If you have concerns about having your sensitive information shared, C3HIE suggests that you share this with your provider office or opt-out of sharing your information.

For a complete list of Frequently Asked Questions, please visit https://c3hie.org/general-faqs/. Other resources available online include: