Alert notifications for COVID-19 testing now available to participating providers
BUFFALO, NY – March 26, 2020 – “With the continued spread of COVID-19, HEALTHeLINK is supporting epidemiology and surveillance efforts and a number of other related efforts including enabling tracking and alert notifications to providers specific to coronavirus.
“In partnership with New York State Department of Health and its Electronic Clinical Lab Reporting System, all COVID-19 lab tests performed in the region are available via HEALTHeLINK to participating providers.
“In addition, HEALTHeLINK participating providers can now receive alert notifications for their patients who have had a COVID-19 test conducted. This includes both positive and negative results. As part of the New York State emergency declaration, the requirement for patient consent for delivery of specific COVID-19 lab results to providers who have a treating relationship with the patient has been waived.
“Getting clinical information to where it’s needed, when it’s needed plays a critical role in the delivery of care. As Western New York’s health information exchange, we understand our unique role in the health care system.
“HEALTHeLINK continues to remain in close contact with County Health Departments, the New York State Department of Health, the QEs across New York that make up the Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY), and HIEs across the country through the Strategic Health Information Exchange Collaborative (SHIEC) to support our health care community as best we can.”
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About HEALTHeLINK: HEALTHeLINK is a collaboration among hospitals, physicians, health plans and other health care providers in the eight counties of western New York State to securely exchange clinical information to improve the quality of care, enhance patient safety and mitigate health care costs. HEALTHeLINK is a Qualified Entity of the Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY), which enables providers to access their patients’ data from across the state. HEALTHeLINK is also a founding member of the Strategic Health Information Exchange Collaborative (SHIEC), the national trade association of health information exchanges. Providers and patients can visit wnyhealthelink.com or @HEALTHeLINK on both Facebook and Twitter for more information.