Yuma Regional Medical Center has received a state grant of $57,762 aimed at improving health care by enabling the care providers to exchange patient information more readily.

  The planning grant from the Arizona Government Information Technology Agency will go creating a Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO) consisting of YRMC, the Yuma County Health Department, Regional Center for Border Health and Sunset Community Health Center, said Gene Shaw, YRMC vice president of information technology and chief information officer.

  A RHIO would allow the sharing of health information by rural health care providers, leading to greater quality and efficiency in health care delivery, YRMC officials said.

  For example, YRMC officials said, if a child patient of a Regional Center for Border Health clinic were involved in an auto accident and rushed to YRMC's emergency room, the hospital would have prior approval to electronically access  patient records to determine if the youngster were allergic to any medication doctors planned to administer.

  The planning grant will pay for the first three phases of what could end up being a seven- or eight-phase project leading to formation of the RHIO, hospital officials said.