Collaborating for Our Community's Health
2023 report to
the community.
A message from our leadership.
Anthony Billittier, MD, FACEP
Chair, HEALTHeLINK Board of Directors
Executive Vice President & Chief Medical Officer,
Independent Health
Daniel E. Porreca, President & CEO
HEALTHeLINK
Driving change for a healthier WNY…
...see where
we are headed.
Together, we are building on the foundation of our ongoing collaborations to support regional health improvement efforts and advance Western New York's collective health.
With a focus on regional health improvement efforts, HEALTHeLINK launched HEALTHeWNY — a new partnership driven by collaboration, coordination, and community engagement to improve health outcomes and foster healthier and thriving communities.
HEALTHeWNY enables the sharing of resources, including funding, infrastructure, data, and technology. This pooling of resources allows for more efficient and effective use of available assets, which encourages the impact of interventions. Through this new partnership, we can address systemic barriers and promote an environment conducive to health and well-being.
By leveraging the wealth of health information available, communities can harness the power of data to drive evidence-based strategies that lead to tangible regional health improvements.
With the support of our Regional Health Improvement Committee, HEALTHeLINK is supporting regional health improvement efforts in conjunction with our regional partners by utilizing data to:
- Provide comprehensive population-level reports illustrating the state of diabetes in Western New York to our region's eight local health departments.
- Provide valuable support, resources, and opportunities to our local health departments to promote public health while contributing to the well-being of our region's communities.
- Create community-based organization reports, including providing data to the Buffalo Center for Health Equity to support its effort to address health disparities and promote health equity in the Buffalo community.
Introducing the HEALTHeWNY™ Dashboard.
At the end of the year, HEALTHeLINK launched its HEALTHeWNY Dashboard, a comprehensive, publicly accessible platform designed to provide real-time data and insights into the health status of the WNY community. As an interactive tool, the HEALTHeWNY Dashboard allows users to explore data at a county and zip code level, providing a detailed picture of health in our region. It can reveal disease patterns and trends and provide timely data to improve policy and evidence-based intervention This up-to-date data also highlights health disparities among different populations and advances community-based research.
To access the HEALTHeLINK Dashboard, click here.
Innovation starts here.
Closing the gaps in care.
HEALTHeLINK has participated in Building Bridges for Better Health: A Primary Health Care Challenge sponsored by the Health Resources and Services Administration. This multiphase challenge aimed to enhance access and care coordination to achieve better health and reduce disparities by utilizing technical assistance solutions. With over 130 applicants at the program's start, HEALTHeLINK made it past the challenge's three phases and took third place out of eight final award winners.
To advance health equity (and specifically support Federally Qualified Health Centers), HEALTHeLINK built HEALTHeQUALITY. This innovative solution brings together clinical and Health Related Social Needs data to identify gaps in care. HEALTHeLINK worked with The Chautauqua Center, Jericho Road Community Health Center, and Universal Primary Care to utilize HEALTHeQUALITY to bridge the gap between clinical care and social concerns that act as barriers to care.
As a result of using HEALTHeQUALITY to electronically monitor patients' chronic disease management measures and cancer screenings, The Chautauqua Center, Jericho Road Community Health Center, and Universal Primary Care all saw increases in breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening rates, as well as improved hypertension and diabetes management among their patients. Staff also reported increased productivity and improved quality of care.
The availability of
Advance Directives.
HEALTHeLINK was awarded a $1 million corporative agreement over the next two years from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT. We will aggregate advance care planning documents from across the community to make them electronically available to treating providers who need access to a patient's wishes at the point of care.
While patients have documentation in their physician's office or a hospital medical record, studies show that only one-third of emergency department patients have advanced planning documents, like living wills, health care proxy, do not resuscitate, and medical orders for life-sustaining treatment to guide end-of-life treatment. When these documents exist, they aren't easily accessible when (and where) they are needed.
Funding is provided through ONC's Leading Edge Acceleration Projects (LEAP) in the Health Information Technology program. HEALTHeLINK is the country's only funding recipient in the 2023 LEAP project category defined as “Exploring the Use of Advanced Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) Capabilities.
An overview of HIE.
Your partners in HIE.
HEALTHeLINK continues to demonstrate HIE leadership in collaborating with similar organizations across the state and country to leverage and share best practices for data-informed decision-making and improved quality of care.
Connecting statewide.
Through the SHIN-NY (Statewide Health Information Network for New York), HEALTHeLINK exchanges data with other Qualified Entities (QEs) across New York State. With this connection, participating providers can secure access to clinical information on their consented patients who may receive care elsewhere in the state.
On behalf of HEALTHeLINK, we thank Western New York's state delegation for their continued advocacy and support of funding for the SHIN-NY and our ongoing efforts to enhance population health.
Connecting nationwide.
Civitas Networks for Health is a national collaborative comprised of member organizations that use health information exchange, health data, and multi-stakeholder, cross-sector approaches to improve health. Civitas represents more than 170 local health innovators nationwide, moving data to improve health outcomes for more than 95% of the United States population.
HEALTHeLINK staff and stakeholders collaborate with their counterparts from across the country on various working committees. President & CEO Dan Porreca serves on the Civitas Networks for Health Board of Directors, further strengthening the link between the two organizations.
Significant Milestones
17
Years of leadership
24
Industry awards
356
Projects completed
Promoting collaboration with
HEALTHeOUTCOMES.
Updates on
HEALTHeOUTCOMES.
HEALTHeOUTCOMES is HEALTHeLINK's web-based population health tool for the community, powered by real-time clinical and claims data for consented patients. HEALTHeLINK is committed to strategically aligning with the needs of the Western New York community by refining our strategy to deliver quality metrics data aimed at improving health outcomes.
Through HEALTHeOUTCOMES, we promote region-wide collaboration and data alignment by connecting healthcare providers and health plans, encouraging a more unified approach to community population health management.
HEALTHeLINK by the numbers.
Total Results Shared
Alerts Delivered
With HEALTHeLINK's alert notifications, providers and care coordination networks receive real-time updates regarding patient hospital admissions, discharges, and transfers, including emergency department visits.
2.7M+
Patients subscribed to alerts
(1,379,893 unique patients)
7.6M
Alerts delivered (2023)
450+
Practices subscribed to alerts
Patient Record Lookups
Patient records lookup gives participating HEALTHeLINK provider organizations instant access to a consented patient's clinical record, obtaining information such as lab tests, radiology reports, medication history, and other relevant health information from provider EHRs across the community.
Results Delivered
HEALTHeLINK's results delivery service enables participating providers to receive clinical results, such as lab tests, radiology reports, and images, for their patients directly within their EHR. This functionality enhances the ability for providers to conduct pre-visit planning and reduces duplicate tests with information available in real-time.
2.7M+
Patients subscribed to alerts
7.6M
Alerts delivered (2023)
450+
Practices subscribed to alerts
Patient Record Lookups
Patient records lookup gives participating HEALTHeLINK provider organizations instant access to a consented patient's clinical record, obtaining information such as lab tests, radiology reports, medication history, and other relevant health information from provider EHRs across the community.
Patient Encounter Data
HEALTHeLINK enables the delivery of patient encounter data or continuity of care documents (CCDs) from a provider's EHR to share consented patients' medical information more easily and securely among treating providers.
11.4M+
Patient encounter records lookups (2023)
Measuring Our Progress
1,222
Participant sites
1.5M+
Consented patients
HEALTHeLINK has 632 data sources, including:
564
Physician practice
11
Regional radiology
providers
6
Home health care agencies
55
Long-term care facilities
9
Independent
laboratory practices
27
Hospitals
3,800
Providers sending HEALTHeLINK data from EHRs
≈100%
Of WNY lab results available w/HEALTHeLINK
90%+
Of WNY radiology reports + images available w/HEALTHeLINK
≈373M
Reports available
w/HEALTHeLINK
2.5M+
Reports added to
HEALTHeLINK (monthly)
4,478
Participating providers
69
Projects undertaken,
36 completed (2023)
984
Participating practices
356
Total projects completed
(2016-2023)
Looking ahead to 2024.
Collaborating for a brighter future.
With the regional health improvement infrastructure in place, we look forward to working with community partners to make data-informed decisions that help drive care and further address the health inequities in our community.
We will continue our efforts to collaborate with other Qualified Entities from across New York State and the New York eHealth Collaborative on strategies and tactics to streamline and optimize technology investments and in support of New York's Medicaid Section 1115 Demonstration Waiver.
