Buffalo News: Letter: Electronic health records are an essential investment
As the health information exchange for Western New York, HEALTHeLINK applauds Kaleida Health’s recent announcement regarding their investment in a new electronic health record system. Our team knows firsthand the importance of investing in health information technology and emerging technologies to drive health care progress and advance the quality and effectiveness of patient care.
It’s critically important that hospitals and health systems streamline these records because patients see a wide array of health specialists across their facilities and the region that utilize different electronic health record systems.
For nearly 20 years, HEALTHeLINK has been the facilitator in connecting more than 5,300 health care providers, regardless of which of the nearly 40 electronic health records systems that exist in WNY they use, to make sure that patient health information is instantly and securely available to their treating providers when it matters most. Wherever consenting patients go, HEALTHeLINK ensures their health stories will follow across our entire network which enables comprehensive care coordination.
HEALTHeLINK also is committed to enhancing and evolving our own technological infrastructure. In the coming weeks, we will be providing our users with a new platform for seamless health information exchange. It’s part of a larger collaborative effort to not only modernize and streamline how health information is shared locally to improve patient care, but across New York State and the nation.
Daniel E. Porreca
President & CEO
HEALTHeLINK