Hixny, a regional health information exchange (HIE) based in Albany, has added nine counties to its territory, committing a significant amount of funding over the next 18 months to connect local providers.
Hixny is one of the state’s eight qualified entities (QE) connected by the Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY) – a “network of networks” that allows the electronic exchange of clinical information and connects healthcare statewide – overseen by the New York State Department of Health.
“The success of the SHIN-NY hinges on meeting the needs of providers based on complete, accurate and up-to-date data,” Mark McKinney, CEO, Hixny, said in a statement. “At Hixny we’ve demonstrated the effectiveness of our model – and want to do the same for the providers and patients in our neighboring regions.”
The region in the Hudson Valley and Southern Tier has historically lagged in connecting providers to one another and collecting patient consent, according to Hixny officials.
Hixny’s territory encompasses 28 counties north and west of the Capital District and south of Hudson Valley. In its existing region, 100 percent of hospitals and three out of every four providers are connected via Hixny. Ninety-two percent of adult patients have given consent to their physicians, a number that increases each month. Additionally, it offers the only patient portal in the state called Hixny for You, allowing patients to view their own medical history, with data that spans the entire state.
“Their reputation precedes them,” Yuk-Wah Chan, M.D., a family practitioner in Pleasant Valley, NY, part of Hixny’s new territory, who recently signed-up, said in a statement. “More than ever, physicians need to deliver higher quality and more personalized care to their patients while lowering costs – to do that, you need access to the best, most reliable data. And that’s Hixny.”
Eight total locations have already signed participation agreements with Hixny: Dialysis Clinic, Inc.’s three locations in Elmsford, Hawthorne and Yorktown; Hurley Avenue Family Medicine’s three locations in Kingston, Stone Ridge and Saugerties; Premier Dialysis Center in Goshen and Dr. Chan’s practice.
All participating organizations will have access to patient information across the state through the SHIN-NY.
“We are pleased to welcome these new providers to Hixny; their decision proves that providers who have a choice will choose better data,” McKinney stated. “Hixny is changing the game and this news is only the first of many announcements that demonstrate why Hixny is the best option.”
