Deadline to Connect to the Statewide Health Information Network for New York is March 9th

Nursing homes, home care agencies, and hospice programs utilizing "certified electronic health record technology under the federal Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH)" must connect to the Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY) by March 9, 2018, under regulations adopted in 2016. Providers must connect with a “qualified entity (QE),” commonly referred to as a Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO), to allow connectivity to the SHIN-NY. The Department of Health (DOH) may waive the requirement to connect to a RHIO if the provider can demonstrate “economic hardship, technological limitations, or practical limitations that are not reasonably within [its] control, or other exceptional circumstances.” Waiver requests must identify the hardship, limitation, or circumstance for consideration and be submitted to DOH no later than March 9, 2018. The SHIN-NY waiver guidance can be found here, and the SHIN-NY Policy Guidance and regulations are available here.

To determine whether your electronic health record (EHR) system is certified under the federal HITECH requirements, search for your system here or contact your vendor. The New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) has made available a free recorded webinar for providers about the connection requirement. Questions about the SHIN-NY regulations may be directed here or to 518-474-4987. Earlier this year, DOH expanded its Data Exchange Incentive Program to help long-term/post-acute care providers defray the costs of building these connections. Information about the Data Exchange Incentive Program is available here.

Contact: Karen Lipson, klipson@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8383 ext. 124