New York awarded $52.9 million in grants to 26 regional health networks statewide as part of its Health Technology Initiative, which focuses on increasing the use of electronic health records (EHRs).
Kenneth Raske, president of the Greater New York Hospital Association, said that although hospitals in the state have wanted to improve their health care information technology systems, funding has been an obstacle until now. The state grants will help hospitals begin to develop and deploy a wide array of IT systems, Raske said.
The state said one of the primary goals is to give patients greater access to their health records so they can make more informed decisions in consultation with their doctors.
State Health Commissioner Antonia Novello said New York’s health IT initiatives will increase the capability of health care providers to deliver better quality health care to patients at every point in their lives and quickly make adjustments in care as patient conditions change.
The funding for the New York health IT grants stems from the state’s Healthcare Efficiency and Affordability Law for New Yorkers, which focuses on developing health IT projects and restructuring the health care delivery system.
Recipients of major grants in the New York health IT project include:
- Taconic Health Information Network and Community/the Future of American Health.
- North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health Care.
- Rochester Health Commission/the Rochester regional health information organization.
- The Bronx regional health information organization .
- Maimonides Medical Center/Brooklyn health information exchange.
- United Health Services Hospitals/Southern Tier Electronic Medical Record Project.
