For Immediate Release
September 28, 2023
Contacts
Steve Greenberg
(518) 469-9858
steve@greenbergpr.com
Bob Bellafiore
(518) 928-8471
bob@stanhope-ny.com
New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) Highlights Regional Partners’ Work Improving Healthcare Across New York in New Video Release
Lifespan of Greater Rochester Helps Improve Health Care for 30,000 Older New Yorkers in Monroe County/Finger Lakes Region Through State’s Health Information Exchange
“We help clients meet their needs to try and prevent rehospitalization.”
New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) today highlighted Lifespan of Greater Rochester – a non-profit serving 30,000 older adults and caregivers annually – in a new video, part of a series emphasizing how regional partners across the state are improving healthcare delivery by using the Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY), a secure digital network for sharing patient medical data.
Lifespan, founded in 1971, offers more than 30 services, including assistance for caregivers of people with dementia/Alzheimer’s, assisting with Medicare, health and wellness classes and workshops, and elder abuse intervention and prevention programs.
In the video, Lifespan leaders talk about how access to real time health data for the older New Yorkers they serve – through the Rochester RHIO (Regional Health Information Organization) and the SHIN-NY – improves the services they provide and assists in ensuring better healthcare outcomes for their clients.
Ann Marie Cook, President/CEO, Lifespan of Greater Rochester, said, “The integration of health care and social care has proven to have better outcomes for individuals. We know this to be true. We have come to rely on the services of the Rochester RHIO for our care coordination and evaluation. We could not do our work our work without them.”
Jodi Owen, RN Co-Director for Community Care, Lifespan of Greater Rochester, said, “We now know when a client is discharged from the hospital and we’re able to schedule a home visit. We can talk to the client, help ensure they understand the discharge instructions, and we help clients meet their needs to try and prevent rehospitalization.”
“The partnership between Rochester RHIO and Lifespan of Greater Rochester demonstrates the value of health information exchange, which Rochester RHIO and the SHIN-NY network work so hard to enable. Lifespan of Greater Rochester serves tens of thousands of older New Yorkers in the Finger Lakes region, and by being part of this network they are better able to ensure their clients receive the services they need,” said David Horrocks, CEO, New York eHealth Collaborative, which administers the SHIN-NY.
Annie Wells, Division Leader for Healthcare Initiatives, Lifespan of Greater Rochester, said, “We use the data to show pre- and post-changes in emergency room visits and hospitalizations. This is a significant help for us as we’ve been able to prove the value of our interventions, connecting people to the services they need.”
“Better healthcare outcomes for New Yorkers is our goal and the standard we work to meet every day. Whether it’s working with hospitals, doctors, other healthcare providers, or important community organizations like Lifespan of Greater Rochester, the Rochester RHIO continues to ensure the secure sharing of information to improve patient care,” said Marlene Bessette, CEO & President, Rochester RHIO.
This is the fourth video in a series featuring healthcare providers and other entities from across the state that benefit from using the SHIN-NY. Other videos highlighted BronxWorks, Independent Health in Buffalo, and St. Joseph’s Health in Syracuse.
NYeC is sharing this and all videos in the series with health care providers, community-based organizations, government, civic and business leaders, and the media as part of its ongoing education and informational campaign.
To see the new video, click here.
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About the Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY)
The SHIN-NY (pronounced SHY-nee) is a statewide network that facilitates secure and confidential electronic sharing of patient data across the healthcare system to improve patient outcomes. It comprises and connects regional networks that allow participating providers and organizations to quickly access and share comprehensive patient health information and medical records.
Statewide, all hospitals and more than 100,000 healthcare professionals are connected to the SHIN-NY, which facilitates the exchange of health information for patients across the state regardless of health system or network within which providers are based.
For more information about the SHIN-NY, see https://www.nyehealth.org/shin-ny/what-is-the-shin-ny/.
About New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC)
NYeC is a nonprofit organization working in partnership with the New York State Department of Health (DOH) and others to improve healthcare by collaboratively leading, connecting, and integrating health information exchange across the state. As the State Designated Entity, NYeC leads the SHIN-NY on behalf of, and in partnership with, DOH. www.nyehealth.org
About Lifespan of Greater Rochester
Lifespan of Greater Rochester, founded in 1971, has provided services for Rochester area older adults and caregivers for 50 years. Lifespan employs approximately 160 full and part-time, and we assist approximately 30,000 older adults and caregivers a year. Lifespan helps older adults and caregivers take on the challenges and opportunities of longer life. As a regional nonprofit, Lifespan is a trusted source of unbiased information, guidance and more than 30 services and advocacy for older adults and caregivers. We also provide training and education for allied professionals and the community. www.lifespan-roch.org
About Rochester RHIO
Rochester RHIO (Regional Health Information Organization) is a secure, electronic health information exchange (HIE) serving authorized medical providers and over 1.5 million residents in Monroe, Allegany, Chemung, Cayuga, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties in upstate New York (Finger Lakes and Southern Tier regions). www.rochesterrhio.org