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State of Illinois Announces Launch of Improved Birth Registration System


SPRINGFIELD–(ENEWSPF)–March 22, 2010.  Dr. Damon T. Arnold, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), is announcing the launch of the Electronic Birth Registration System within the Division of Vital Records.  Earlier this year, the Department implemented a new birth registration system in all 121 birthing hospitals throughout Illinois.  Instead of hospitals filing paper birth certificates with the local registrar, who then sends the paper certificate to the Division of Vital Records, birth records are now handled electronically.

“With approximately 500 births each day in Illinois, about 180,000 a year, the efficiency of the new electronic systems should help us get birth certificates into the hands of parents sooner,” Dr. Arnold said.

Although the time frame in which the hospital must file a birth record with the local registrar, and the time in which the local registrar must provide IDPH the information, has not changed, the Department anticipates birth records being filed earlier because of the more convenient electronic system.

“I feel that this system is already showing a time and cost savings to our county,” Knox County Clerk Scott G. Erickson said.  “By having access to the birth records immediately upon completion by the hospital, we can provide the certified copies of the records to the parents in a much more efficient manner.  By not having to mail the records to my office, and we in turn mailing the records to the State, the delay in getting access to the record has been removed.”

“The birth registration system is a great improvement from the old system in that it allows multiple users to perform data entry to create birth certificates; streamlines the delivery process, which reduces mailing and paper costs; and maintained a secure site for the legal documents,” Perinatal Data Center Coordinator Lillis Ridolfi said.  “The best outcome, however, is that parents can get the birth certificates quicker.”

Last year the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) fully implemented the Electronic Death Registration System to streamline the process of creating death certificates and make it more efficient and reliable.  The system allows physicians, coroners, medical examiners and funeral directors to electronically compile necessary death information, which can then be sent to local registrars for the creation of a death certificate.

For more information on birth and death records, log onto www.idph.state.il.us/vitalrecords/index.htm.

 

Source: illinois.gov


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