A Grand Junction organization has announced an affiliation intended to unify health information exchanges in Colorado.

Quality Health Network (QHN) will integrate staff, technology and operations with Contexture, creating a combined organization serving Colorado and Arizona.

“Affiliating with Contexture is an important step forward for QHN’s participants as we work to provide the best possible HIE services, putting data into the hands of care providers when they need it,” said Marc Lassaux, executive director and chief executive officer of Quality Health Network. “Our team is excited to provide enhanced services tailored to the needs of the medical, behavioral and social service providers we serve.”

Melissa Kotrys, CEO of Contexture, said the affiliation will build on past collaborations.

“When Contexture and QHN began the affiliation process, we realized just how vital this coming together would be for the state of Colorado and beyond,” Kotrys said “Our participants desire more than standard HIE services to meet their organizational objectives. And by affiliating with QHN, Contexture will continue to enhance our solution offerings to keep up with essential community health needs.”

Quality Health Network was founded in 2004 by five health care partners to share health care information and coordinate patient care. Today, QHN serves as a health information exchange for all the hospitals and 90 percent of providers in a region spreading across 30,000 square miles.

With headquarters in Denver and Phoenix, Contexture operates one of the largest health information organizations in the western United States.

An exploration of a possible affiliation was announced in August. The board of directors of Quality Health Network and Contexture approved the move in April.

“By affiliating with QHN, our organizations will continue to build upon our shared successes in providing health information to providers and the people they care for across Colorado, Arizona and other regions,” Kotrys said. “We’re eager to continue this journey towards a more unified health data utility.”