The Chatham County Safety Net Planning Council, Inc. (Safety Net) was formed in 2004 by the Chatham County Commission to assist local providers meeting the healthcare needs of uninsured and underinsured Chatham County residents. In 2008, Safety Net established ChathamHealthLink (CHL), Georgia’s first HIE.

CHL members include:

Hospital Systems

• Memorial Health University Medical Center

Federally Qualified Health Centers

• Curtis V. Cooper Primary Health Care, Inc.
• J. C. Lewis Primary Health Care Center, Inc.

Free Clinics

• Community Health Mission (Closed December 2014)

Non-traditional Partners

• Chatham County Detention Center
• Gateway Behavioral Health Services
• Chatham Care Center, a Ryan White HIV Clinic

In October 2014, ChathamHealthLink merged with the Georgia Regional Academic Community Health Information Exchange (GRAChIE).

Safety Net has worked in partnership with GRAChIE to bring additional providers into the HIE.  SouthCoast and Merit IPA, as well as rural hospital referral networks are now live and exchanging meaningful data in GRAChIE.  In addition, GRAChIE is now connected to GaHIN, the state HIE, eHealth Exchange, the national HIE, and are now building our connection with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).