Message from NYeC Executive Director, Valerie Grey
It’s hard to believe that the end of 2019 is here, and what a year it has been! Since our last SHIN-NY Spotlight, we’ve been quite busy with our Qualified Entity (QE) partners and stakeholders to advance health information exchange (HIE) across New York State through the Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY).
Last month, we announced exciting news that use of the SHIN-NY is reducing unnecessary healthcare spending in New York State by $160-$195 million annually — including significant savings to Medicaid and Medicare. These estimates come from recent analysis by NYeC based on the current size and use of the network.
The analysis of the SHIN-NY demonstrates the impact we are making, but it also underlines the potential value we have yet to uncover – and that’s why we must further advancement of the goals outlined in the SHIN-NY 2020 Roadmap to maximize the system’s full capabilities and savings.
As we mentioned in our previous SHIN-NY Spotlight, proposed federal policy changes related to interoperability and information blocking and the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) were released by both the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). In June, NYeC submitted comments to CMS and the ONC on 21st Century Cures Act Implementation and TEFCA.
Additionally, we submitted comments on the Draft 1115 Waiver Amendment. These comments came in response to the New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH) proposed DSRIP waiver extension announced in September. These proposals present opportunities for the SHIN-NY and its participants throughout the state. We carefully reviewed these proposals and worked closely with our stakeholders to gather feedback to inform comprehensive and coordinated comments as part of our advocacy efforts. Highlights of our comments to the above Federal and State proposals can be found in this issue of the Spotlight.
Finally, in this edition, we highlight news and updates from several of our QE partners, who have worked diligently to engage new healthcare professionals, enhance the SHIN-NY’s data, and increase patient consent.
As we head into 2020, we set our sights on the future and the great progress we can all make with further collaboration and communication.
Wishing a Happy Holiday Season and New Year to all!
Take care,
Valerie Grey
Executive Director
New York eHealth Collaborative