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FIRST LONG TERM CARE FACILITY, BRIODY HEALTH CARE FACILITY LLC, BEGINS PROVIDING DATA FEEDS TO HEALTHeLINK
FIRST LONG TERM CARE FACILITY, BRIODY HEALTH CARE FACILITY LLC, BEGINS PROVIDING DATA FEEDS TO HEALTHeLINK
BUFFALO, NEW YORK – In its ongoing efforts to use health information technology to improve care coordination, HEALTHeLINK today announced the addition of the first long term care facility as a data source to the region’s clinical information exchange. Briody Health Care Facility LLC has begun submitting admission, discharge and transfer notices for patients electronically through HEALTHeLINK. Located in Lockport, Briody Health Care Facility is the oldest family owned and operated nursing facility in Western New York.
“This marks an important milestone for HEALTHeLINK in improving the quality of patient care,” said Daniel Porreca, executive director, HEALTHeLINK. “Transitions of care, whether from the hospital to a long term care facility or from long term to home can be vulnerable times for patients and their families as their health information and current medications may be in flux. Having Briody Health Care Facility, and in the near future, additional long term care facilities as data sources for HEALTHeLINK, will allow for better coordination between treating physicians. Those physicians will also have immediate access to their patients’ health information to provide better and more efficient care during these transitions.”
Connecting long term care facilities to HEALTHeLINK and Western New York’s clinical information exchange is also an important component of the work being done in conjunction with the Western New York Beacon Project. A portion of the $16.1 million grant awarded to HEALTHeLINK and Western New York by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT is being used to connect additional data sources, such as rural hospitals, home care agencies, and long term care facilities to expand the amount of data available to participating providers through the health information exchange.
Ann Briody Petock, Administrator of Briody Health Care Facility, stated “We are very happy to collaborate with HEALTHeLINK to add another aspect of technology at our health facility which will help improve patient outcomes. Our facility initiated the use of an electronic medical record three years ago and we have seen the benefits that technology can provide to increase communication, quality of care and to prepare us for the digital future of health care.”
With authorized patient consent, data from area hospitals representing more than 90% of the beds in Western New York, three independent laboratory practices, five independent radiology practices and three home care agencies is currently available through HEALTHeLINK to participating physicians. Work is ongoing to secure additional data sources in the coming months.
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About HEALTHeLINK: The not-for-profit organization was established through funding from BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York, The Catholic Health System, Erie County Medical Center Corporation, Independent Health Association, Kaleida Health, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Univera Healthcare and the Health Care Efficiency and Affordability Law for New Yorkers Capital Grant Program (HEAL NY) from New York State. HEALTHeLINK also received one of the country’s largest awards as part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ Beacon Community Cooperative Agreement Program.
HEALTHeLINK stakeholders include a broad representation of healthcare professionals and organizations throughout the eight-county Western New York region such as the State University of New York at Buffalo, P2 Collaborative, Chautauqua County Health Network, the WNY Rural Area Health Education Center and local county public health departments. For more information on HEALTHeLINK, visit www.wnyhealthelink.com.
