In Disasters Such as Sandy, HIE is “As Critical as Having Roads, as Having Fire Hydrants”

The Statewide Health Information Network of New York (SHIN-NY) sees itself as a “public utility” as much as an HIE. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, as patients bounce between hospitals (and as other public utilities, such as electricity and transportation, are compromised), it has enabled critical continuity of care.

Healthcare IT News spoke with David Whitlinger, executive director of New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC), which oversees SHIN-NY, about what’s happening in New York City, about the critical roles for health information exchange in crisis situations, and about his hopes that this can be a teachable moment for those care providers that have yet to link up with a HIE.

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(Source: Healthcare IT News)