Two regional health information organizations in New York City and Long Island have announced plans to merge, creating one of the largest RHIOs in the country.
With the merger, Healthix Inc. and the Brooklyn Health Information Exchange (BHIX) would provide access to the health records of over 8 million people in New York City and Long Island, and be managed by a unified team supporting 50 hospitals, 25 nursing homes and many physician practices and other healthcare organizations.
Last year, both BHIX and Healthix entered into arrangements with the New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) to operate their technology platforms. Now NYeC is expected to combine the two RHIOs’ platforms into a unified offering.
“The combination of Healthix and BHIX is an exciting development for the SHIN-NY (State Health Information Network of New York) that will allow us to more easily provide access to clinical records for providers, payers and patients in the greater New York area,” said David Whitlinger, executive director of NYeC, in a prepared statement.
"With the merging of these two organizations, we will increase our ability to share clinical data and collaboration across hospital systems, post-acute facilities, and physician practices,” said Richard Donoghue, senior vice president for strategic planning and business development at NYU Langone Medical Center, in a prepared statement. Donoghue serves as chair of the board of directors of Healthix and will continue in this role after the merger is completed. “This will ultimately create dramatic improvements and efficiencies in the delivery of coordinated care to the patients who need it the most,” he added.
The merger is subject to review and approval by the office of the New York State Attorney General and the Supreme Court of New York County.
