HEALTHeLINK and Population Health Collaborative announce affiliation

HEALTHeLINK, the health information exchange (HIE) for Western New York, announced an affiliation agreement with Population Health Collaborative (PHC) to drive higher quality care, control costs and improve the health and wellness of the people in Western New York.

Improving health equity and health outcomes in communities with the worst health outcomes, both in rural and minority populations, will be an essential focus through this partnership.

The organizations are coming together to build on HEALTHeLINK’s secure and reliable technology infrastructure for the timely and accurate electronic exchange of clinical information among Western New York health care providers and expand its services to include Regional Health Improvement Collaborative activities like the Live Well Western New York model that has been the focus of PHC.

“HEALTHeLINK has partnered with PHC for over a decade on initiatives related to diabetes care, population health, and practice transformation just to name a few, and after many discussions we thought it made sense for a more formal relationship as our respective organizations are both working toward similar goals of improving health in Western New York,” said Dan Porreca, executive director of HEALTHeLINK. “The clinical data alone doesn’t create value; it is what’s done with the data to improve health while recognizing and working on social determinants of health in support of community-based organizations’ efforts. That’s what this transaction with PHC and more direct work with community-based organizations will enable us to do.”

Aligning these two organizations will further expand the utilization of data through a regional network of community-based organizations and community health champions to inform, support, and promote strategies to improve the health status of Western New Yorkers, increase access to care, and reduce health disparities. To further address health inequities, clinical data will be used to identify areas of the community in need and create a baseline to determine the success of programs focused on improving health over time. It will also enhance the delivery of health care services among providers in the region who are already connected with the Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY).

Since 2002 the Population Health Collaborative, initially known as P2, has connected, and aligned existing resources in ways that improve the health and wellbeing for people living in Western New York. HEALTHeLINK will continue that commitment which will be enhanced by the data now available, according to a news release.