The U.S. Coast Guard has taken the next step to integrate its health information systems and records after tapping an interoperability platform to make it happen.

In efforts to boost interoperability among the Coast Guard's disparate IT systems, it has tapped InterSystems HealthShare, an interoperable health IT platform that will pull together data from its Integrated Health Information System.

[See also: Coast Guard awards Epic $14M contract for new EHR and Coast Guard awards $17 million contract for health information system.]

The Coast Guard's contract with InterSystems' HealthShare platform was inked back in September 2014, but today the platform is officially live and in use, said an InterSystems spokesperson.

Back in 2012, The Coast Guard awarded Science Applications International Corporation a $17 million contract to provide services and operational support for its Epic EHR, which it had selected back in 2010.

InterSystems officials say that U.S. Coast Guard care providers can now access longitudinal health records for beneficiaries of the Coast Guard and the Department of State. The platform brings together ambulatory care data, urgent care, dental, physical therapy, audiology, pharmacy orders, labs, behavioral health, optometry and more.

[See also: Coast Guard hit for slack PHI security.]

"Building on our experience with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, public and private health systems, and health information exchanges around the world," said Paul Grabscheid, vice president of strategic planning at InterSystems, in a statement, "we are providing the Coast Guard the interoperability foundation to help deliver better, more connected care."