The Taconic Health Information Network and Community (THINC at www.thinc.org serves the Hudson Valley area of New York, The area’s total population is approximately 2.4 million with a broad spectrum of socioeconomic conditions represented in the area.
The area has 1,800 primary care providers, 31 hospitals, eight FQHCs, and three Critical Access Hospitals. So far, 1000 EHRs have been implemented in the last five years, and EHRs are disproportionally supported by small practices, primary care providers, and FQHCs.
THINC is the community-based not-for-profit organization responsible for sponsoring the HIE and its connection to SHIN-NY in the Hudson Valley. THINC began with funding from a HEAL 1 grant from the New York State Department of Health and works closely with MedAllies to help integrate local participation to the eXchange.
The first HIE in Hudson Valley started with six hospitals beginning in 2001 to the present time and now SHIN-NY, is covering all seven counties, able to query across all the regions, provide alerting and notification functions, and enables connectivity between RHIOs.
Regional planning continues to move forward in the Hudson Valley. The move to regional planning is moving ahead. According to Susan Stuard, THINC Executive Director, the goal for regional planning would provide for regional health improvement collaborations with participating stakeholders. The hope is to have a situation where participants will be able to form relationships and develop projects to help in the larger community.
THINC is the convener for the CMS Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC) initiative which will invest $20 million a year for four years in primary care. Today, 300 primary care providers in the region are participating in the CPC initiative. Also, six plans partnering in CPC to include Aetna, CDPHP, Empire, Hudson Health Plan, Medicare, and MVP Healthcare.
In addition, 350 primary care providers in 15 practices at 67 practice sites, health plans including Aetna, CDPHP, Empire, Hudson Health Plan, MVP Healthcare, United, and Wellpoint, plus IBM have achieved NCQA Level 3 PCMH recognition in THINC’s medical home project run in collaboration with Taconic IPA.