Health Information Exchange to Get New Platform
HealtheConnections, a regional health information exchange (HIE), announced it will soon replace its current system with an advanced portal. The upgrade aims to enhance data sharing across different care providers. Such improvements to HIEs could facilitate better care coordination for clients who receive support from multiple specialists, including coaches, therapists, and medical doctors.
- HealtheConnections is a nonprofit Qualified Entity of the Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY), serving a 26-county region with over 1,400 participating organizations. - In July 2025, HealtheConnections was awarded a contract for Statewide Encounter Alerts and announced a partnership with health tech company PointClickCare to develop the new alerting solution. - The inclusion of behavioral health data in HIEs is a growing trend, though it requires satisfying additional patient consent requirements defined by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA). - In a move to better serve patients with complex needs, HealtheConnections partnered with Innovative Management Solutions (IMSNY) in 2021 to provide hospital admission, discharge, and transfer data to two of New York's largest behavioral health-focused Independent Practice Associations. - A major driver for upgrading HIE platforms is the federal push for interoperability; as of January 1, 2026, all certified health IT vendors must comply with the United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI) Version 3 standards. - The technical foundation for modern data exchange relies on standards like Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), which enable different systems and third-party applications to connect more easily. - Studies on the impact of HIEs have shown they can reduce medication and medical errors, avoid unnecessary or redundant testing, and lower healthcare costs. - Many HIEs provide patients with access to their own consolidated health information through secure portals or apps, which allows them to play a more active role in managing their care.
