HealtheConnections Seeks Gold Standard of Data Security Certification

Certified Assessor BluePrint Healthcare IT to Support HITRUST CSF Certification Process

SYRACUSE, NY and CRANBURY, NJ — July 15, 2017 — HealtheConnections and BluePrint Healthcare IT (BluePrint) jointly announced they are partnering to achieve HITRUST (Health Information Trust Alliance) Certification for HealtheConnections in accordance with the HITRUST Common Security Framework (CSF).

HealtheConnections operates one of the state’s eight regional health information exchanges (HIE), working with healthcare organizations throughout eleven counties in Central and Northern New York. As a HealtheConnections participant, authorized healthcare professionals are able to access critical patient medical records and resources securely and at no cost. HealtheConnections’ resources are enabling Central New York medical providers to achieve meaningful use and technology adoption, along with empowering the overall healthcare community to improve patient care through the use of health information exchange, community health data, and best practices.

“We take pride in continuous growth and development of new, innovative technologies to better support our participants,” said Rob Hack, President and CEO of HealtheConnections. “The HITRUST Certification is another layer of assurance that the information our healthcare professionals rely on is as secure as possible. It clearly demonstrates to all our stakeholders – the New York State Department of Health, all healthcare organizations in Central and Northern New York, and the 1.5 million patients we serve – that our security program is reliable.”

Currently HealtheConnections aggregates information from over 200 data sources, including valuable partnerships with the Veterans Administration, Department of Defense, and many medical organizations throughout the state of New York and beyond—as healthcare information technologies continue to develop, that number will only grow. Security is one of their top priorities.

Vikas Khosla, President and CEO of BluePrint Healthcare IT, highlights the growing trend, “Cyber threats and organized targeting of healthcare data are on the rise and the HITRUST CSF has become the “gold standard” for measuring and certifying security management programs. Because of the unique and paramount role that HealtheConnections plays in value-based, shared care, it’s prudent to adopt a scalable security framework that addresses the most widely trusted standards in cybersecurity.”

“We believed back then, as we do to this day, that a framework was needed in healthcare to establish a solid and clear foundation for a security management program,” said Khosla. With a sole focus on the security programs of healthcare organizations, BluePrint provides practical, real-world, implementable solutions for the expanding number of HIEs, Business Associates and Health Systems pursuing HITRUST certification.

HealtheConnections expects to pass the rigorous HITRUST Certification in 2018.