HEALTHeLINK https://wnyhealthelink.com, a HIE, has an agreement with Population Health Collaborative (PHC) https://www.livewellwny.org to drive higher quality care, control costs, and improve the health and wellness for the people in Western N.Y.
The goal is to improve health equity and health outcomes in communities in rural and minority populations. Together, the organizations are going to build on HEALTHeLINK’s secure and reliable technology infrastructure to enable timely and the accurate electronic exchange of clinical information among Western N.Y’s healthcare providers.
At the same time, there are plans to expand their services to include Regional Health Improvement Collaborative activities like the Live Well Western N.Y model that has been the focus of PHC.
HEALTHeLINK has partnered with PHC for over a decade on initiatives related to diabetes care, population health, and practice transformation plus other initiatives. After many discussions, it was thought that it made more sense for a more formal relationship.
Aligning these two organizations will further expand the utilization of data through a regional network of community-based organizations, and community health champions to support and promote strategies to increase access to care and reduce health disparities.
To further address health inequities, clinical data will be used to identify areas of the communities in need and create a baseline to determine the success of programs focused on improving health over time. This will also enhance the delivery of healthcare services among providers in the regions who are already connected with the Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY).