2025 letter to the community

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preparing for the next chapter

"Our next steps are clear: honor the foundation we've built while embracing new technologies and partnerships that are redefining our industry."

- Elizabeth Amato,
President and CEO

Elizabeth Amato, HealtheConnections President and CEO

To our participants, partners, and stakeholders,

It is a privilege to address you for the first time as the President and Chief Executive Officer of HealtheConnections. Stepping into this role, I am deeply aware of the legacy of success and community impact that has been built over the years. It is with great respect that I acknowledge the hard work and innovation that have solidified our position as one of the top organizations in the field of health information technology, and I share my commitment to uphold those values as we continue advancing the secure and efficient exchange of health information.

HealtheConnections has long been a leader in health information exchange (HIE) and technology solutions.

It is not the first time that we find ourselves at a pivotal moment in this industry.

The intersection of health and technology is evolving rapidly, and as we navigate this changing landscape, we must stay agile and responsive to the needs of our participants and the communities we serve. The demands of modern healthcare—along with advancements in digital health, data analytics, and patient-centered care—require us to be more adaptable than ever.

This past year, we prioritized the projects and partnerships that support that next level of maturity in data-centric services, leading technology solutions, community and public health support, and the ongoing sustainability of our operations. These are the continuations of strategic, multi-faceted, multi-year initiatives to bring HIE and data analytics into the next era. We’re renewing our commitment to not only maintaining the important work that has brought us here but also taking bold steps that will fuel our evolution.

executing our vision:
2024 action, 2025 growth

collaboration

Implementing a data-centric operating model and innovative new HIE system.

We're driving innovation with new technology and tools that will deliver unique value to customers, laying the groundwork for future growth of our HIE and value-add services. By leveraging Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR), a modernized foundation, we are poised to standardize patient information across systems, enabling seamless data exchange and real-time interoperability that drives improvement in care delivery, quality, and outcomes.

2024 Accomplishments:

  • Designed and built a brand-new, sophisticated HIE platform
  • Cloud-based infrastructure using state of the art technology
  • User-friendly interface that emphasizes speed and accuracy
  • Back-end design and administrative functions for optimal customer and technical support capabilities

click for a sneak peak

click for a sneak peak

  • Completed in-depth data conversion to FHIR and validation for 640+ data feeds, verifying quality and completeness for our 2025 launch. This will support seamless service integration to our partners, including:
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hospitals/health systems

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primary care offices

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federally qualified health centers

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behavioral health centers

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patients with records in the exchange

The Next Phase:

With new infrastructure, forward-thinking data strategies, and user-friendly interfaces, we'll drive new possibilities for data-centric services for our customers

  • Finalize data migration and implement structures to continuously optimize data quality practices to meet or exceed emerging standards
  • Complete rigorous testing and successfully launch the platform
  • Onboard all participating organizations and their thousands of users to the new system with high levels of customer support and satisfaction
  • Explore opportunities for growth and added value through product and service innovation, engaging health plans, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). Independent Practice Associations (IPAs), and industry partners nationwide
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Supporting population and public health initiatives and health departments at state and local levels.

HIE data is a powerful asset in advancing public health alongside state, regional and local partners. We're supporting local health departments (LHDs) and community-based organizations (CBOs) by expanding their data infrastructure with tools and resources to make a positive impact for public health surveillance and evaluation, inform care coordination and collaboration, personalize and target interventions, and make meaningful data-driven decisions to support future planning and growth.

2024 Accomplishments:

  • Utilized HIE data to identify pregnant women with a history of syphilis, developed with the Orange County Health Department
  • Developed Population-level Emergency Department (ED) Reports by County, alongside SHIN-NY partners, providing up-to-date data that can be used to inform and refine public health strategies
  • Established partnership with Inclusive Alliance to begin education and outreach efforts to CBOs, to explore data needs for their organizations, planning for new reports and dashboards
  • Convened workgroup of LHDs to assess availability and completeness of maternal health data, to be used to inform development of interactive reports

The Next Phase:

We’re actively engaged with LHDs and CBOs to unlock the potential of clinical data to:

  • Help identify and address population level trends, risk factors and disparities
  • Build reports, provide technical advisory services, data tracking tools, and care coordination support
  • Strategize, assess feasibility, and test assumptions to support public health research

Perinatal Syphilis Report

Demo - Perinatal Syphilis Report

County ED Utilization Report

ED Visit Type
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Joint efforts with state & regional partners to advance interoperability and health improvement goals.

HealtheConnections works in close collaboration with our state and community partners to reach shared goals, relying on cutting-edge data strategies and implementation of FHIR data standards. We advanced interoperability capabilities and bridged clinical-community data gaps through 2024, setting the stage for continued efforts in 2025.

2024 Accomplishments:

  • Supported the creation and launch of the Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY) Public Health Data Lake
  • Participated in statewide workgroups to provide guidance and establish frameworks to stand up the new statewide data lake
  • Met all requirements for data contribution including real-time Master Patient Index (MPI), Admission, Discharge, and Transfer (ADT), Lab, Health-Related Social Needs (HRSN) data, and more
  • 1115 Medicaid Waiver advancements in collection and sharing of HRSN data
  • Selected by three (3) Social Care Networks (SCNs) to support the HRSN data needs of their networks alongside their information technology platform, Unite Us
  • Developed flexible and adaptive approaches to taking in HRSN data from multiple sources
  • Enhanced internal and user-facing tools and systems for sharing and accessing HRSN data by community providers and care teams

The Next Phase:

These approaches are revolutionizing health information technology and open new opportunities to improve outcomes, a core tenet of HealtheConnections’ mission. As the landscape of health care continues to advance, we’ll support:

  • Statewide SHIN-NY initiatives, including statewide alerting, consent registry, and statewide common participation agreement (SCPA) efforts coordinated by our partners at New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) under the direction of the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH)
  • Medicaid 1115 Waiver advancements, with a focus on helping providers and community-based organizations to collect, share, and use HRSN data, while continuing to work alongside SCNs to achieve successful outcomes
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Continuing to enhance HIE, customer advisory, and support services.

Delivering best-in-class HIE services has been, and will continue to be, central to our mission. We’re committed to helping our participants enhance patient care, support patient safety, drive operational efficiencies, and improve the health of our communities through technical services and support.

2024 Accomplishments:

  • Maintained service delivery for 1,500+ health and care organizations across 4,600 office locations
  • Facilitated the secure access and sharing of millions of records each month, including
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clinical documents received per month

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clinical alerts exchanged per month

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results delivered per month

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image studies received per month

  • Upgraded and refined our ticketing system to reduce response times and increase accuracy for enhanced customer experience
  • Modernized customer-facing interactions with webforms, automated features, and optimized internal procedures for efficiency while maintaining a high level of personalized service
  • Managed and fulfilled high-volume customer requests, including account setup and modification requests, new project launches, and direct customer support

The Next Phase:

Our services are important to people, and our staff are poised to provide exceptional education, information, and advisement

  • Continue to improve self-service resources for customer convenience, optimal service usage, and supporting their ability to maintain compliance
  • Continue to meet or exceed service level agreements for service availability, communications, and project delivery
  • Support the rollout of new technology, compliance, and participation requirements
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Maintaining our strong position in security, compliance, and finance.

Upholding the highest levels of information security, meeting compliance requirements, and maintaining a strong financial position are the foundations of our operations – they are always a priority.

2024 Accomplishments:

  • Maintained HITRUST certification, ensuring gold standard security, privacy and compliance measures to keep our HIE data safe, and achieved no corrective actions during the 2024 assessment
  • Upheld SHIN-NY certification with no corrective actions
  • Sustained Section 508 compliance requirements to meet federal accessibility standards
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The Next Phase:

  • Partnering with a leading security firm to continually refine our cybersecurity program
  • Upgrade internal information technology tools and structures for productivity, efficiency, and agility
  • Continually refine our procedures to meet and exceed SHIN-NY requirements and best practices

The critical path to success is through embracing change and the opportunities it brings.

We are passionate about our work. We care about great results, and we are well-positioned to deliver them into 2025 and beyond.

Leaning on the deep experience and creativity within our team, we will continue to provide the high-quality, agile solutions HealtheConnections is known for, elevated to meet the needs of this next chapter.

Thank you for your ongoing trust, support, and collaboration as we move forward together.

 

With gratitude,

Elizabeth Amato
President & CEO

 

 

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Special thanks to our Board of Directors for continued guidance, support, and leadership.

Officers:

Paul Kaye, MD
Chairperson
EVP for Practice Transformation
Sun River Health

Seth Kronenberg, MD
Vice Chair
President & CEO
Crouse Health

Robert Weisenthal, MD
Vice Chair
Ophthalmologist,
CNY Eye Care
Clinical Professor,
Department of Ophthalmology
Upstate Medical University

Patricia Hale, MD, PhD, FACP, FHIMSS
Secretary
Consultant in Clinical Informatics

Martin Stallone, MD
Treasurer
Chief Executive Officer
Centralus Health and Cayuga Health

Board:

Kathryn Anderson, MD, PhD
Commissioner of Health
Onondaga County

Marissa Barbieri
Chief Executive Officer/Founder
Competitive Solutions, Inc.

Eric Brosius
VP, Technology Services
Sun River Health

Kara Hines, DNP, RN, CHCIO
Associate VP, IT
Associate Chief Information Officer
United Health Services (UHS)

Joseph R. Maldonado, MD, MSc, MBA
Physician

Mark Muthumbi
Commercial Market Leader
Regional President CNY/ST
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield

David Page, MD
Physician

Judith Watson, RN, BSN, MPH
Chief Executive Officer
Westchester Community Health Center

Bruce Wood
Partner
Lippes Mathias

Corey Zeigler
Chief Information Officer
Helio Health