Home / News / Press Releases / HEALTHeLINK™ and Erie County Medical Center Team Up to Get Patients to Participate in Regional Health Information Exchange

HEALTHeLINK™ and Erie County Medical Center Team Up to Get Patients to Participate in Regional Health Information Exchange

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 27, 2009
Contacts:
Earl Wells/Laura Jacobs
e3communications
716-854-8182

Will allow for the release as well as access to patient medical information

BUFFALO, NEW YORK - HEALTHeLINK™ and Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) have teamed up to get patients visiting the emergency room to give consent to have their health information accessible through the region's clinical information exchange.  Since starting this arrangement on June 2nd more than 100 patient consent forms have been signed on a daily basis.

"The emergency room remains the best example for any patient to see just how valuable having an electronic health record is for their well-being," David Ellis, MD an emergency room physician at ECMC said.  "If you come to the emergency room and you are unconscious, your electronic health record literally becomes your voice."

HEALTHeLINK™ has embarked on a community wide effort to educate health care consumers about the benefits of having their health records shared via the clinical information exchange.  Providing consent means that patients' medical information can be accessed electronically by health care providers who are authorized to do so and who may need that information to safely and accurately provide treatment.  The organization anticipates teaming up with hospitals, businesses and other groups and organizations to encourage people to sign consent forms.

"ECMC is honored to be the first member hospital to join in the patient consent initiative," Jody Lomeo, Chief Executive Officer, ECMC said.  "We look forward to our ongoing collaboration with HEALTHeLINK™ and our partner organizations in the health care community as we all work to provide better information for the care of patients."

"The arrangement with ECMC is the continuation of our efforts to get patient consent to share their personal health information," Daniel E. Porreca, executive director, HEALTHeLINK™ said.  "Our staff has been working with primary care doctors, as well as attending health fairs as well as other community events and activities to educate health care consumers about the benefits of giving consent to share their health records through the clinical information exchange."

Patient consent forms are available by clicking HERE and since a patient must sign the form, the document must be mailed to HEALTHeLINK™, 2658 Walden Avenue, Suite 107, Buffalo, NY 14225 or faxed to 716-206-0039.  The consent form is a simple, one page document outlining terms and conditions of providing consent.

"The consent form we have developed is simply seeking patient authorization to release and provide access to all of their medical information to their health care providers who are treating them and health insurers that they are enrolled with or who are making payments on their behalf," Porreca continued.  "By providing consent, we believe health care consumers are saying an emphatic 'yes' to improving their quality of care."

NOTE:  The media is invited to visit the emergency room to see how the consent process transpires.

About HEALTHeLINK™

HEALTHeLINK™, the Western New York clinical information exchange, is a collaborative effort among various organizations to share clinical information in efficient and meaningful ways to improve the delivery of care, enhance clinical outcomes, and help control healthcare costs throughout the region. The not-for-profit organization was established through funding from The Catholic Health System, Erie County Medical Center Corporation, HealthNow New York (BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York), Independent Health Association, Kaleida Health, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Univera Healthcare and a $3.5 million HEAL 1 grant from New York State. HEALTHeLINK™ stakeholders also include a broad representation of healthcare professionals and organizations throughout the eight-county Western New York region such as the Buffalo Academy of Medicine (BAM), Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH), State University of New York at Buffalo and the WNY R-AHEC (Rural Area Health Education Center).