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Launch of New Digital Age in Western New York Healthcare

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 21, 2009
Contacts: Earl Wells/Laura Taczak
e3communications
716-854-8182

Local health care CEOs officially launch clinical information exchange

Part of the goals of President Obama and Governor Patterson to digitize patient health records throughout New York and the United States to improve health care

BUFFALO, NEW YORK – HEALTHeLINK™, the Western New York Clinical Information Exchange, was officially launched today at a ceremony attended by health care CEOs and Lori M. Evans, deputy commissioner, Health Information and Technology at the New York State Department of Health. The clinical information exchange is part of the goals set by President Barack Obama and Governor Patterson to digitize patient health records throughout New York and the United States to support improvements in health care quality and efficiency.

“The New York State Department of Health is proud to be a partner with HEALTHeLINK™ in creating this regional clinical exchange for Western New York,” Deputy Commissioner Evans said. “We believe that New York is setting the standard in fulfilling the President’s goal of digitizing patient health records and HEALTHeLINK™ is an integral component of our statewide initiative.”

In addition to Commissioner Evans, various CEOs of the region’s major health care institutions attended the launch event, including Dr. Michael Cropp, president and CEO of Independent Health and the chairman of the Board of Directors of HEALTHeLINK; James Kaskie, president and CEO of Kaleida Health; Jody Lomeo, president and CEO of the Erie County Medical Center; Joseph McDonald, president and CEO of the Catholic Health System; Alphonso O’Neil-White, president and CEO of BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York; Dr. Donald Trump, president and CEO of Roswell Park Cancer Institute; and, Mary Lee Campbell-Wisely, president and CEO of Univera Healthcare.

“A spirit of collaboration among the health care institutions, community organizations and providers in our region, presents us with a unique opportunity to truly transform our health care system through the exchange of clinical information between physician offices and other health care organizations,” Dr. Cropp said. “I want to acknowledge and express our gratitude to the physicians that participated in the pilot program to get HEALTHeLINK™ up and running. They are pioneers of the new digital age in health care.”

“With the pilot program completed and HEALTHeLINK™ launched, our goal now is to get every physician in our region to participate in this clinical exchange,” Raghu Ram, MD, senior medical director, BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York and chairman of the HEALTHeLINK™ Physician Advisory Committee. “A clinical information exchange will not only eliminate billions of dollars of waste in our health system, it will enhance patient care and literally save lives.”

About HEALTHeLINK™

HEALTHeLINK™, the Western New York Clinical Information Exchange (WNYCIE), 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 and was established through funding from The Catholic Health System, Erie County Medical Center Corporation,, 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).