Syracuse, N.Y. -- The first stretch of an information highway that will let Syracuse area hospitals, insurers and doctors exchange electronic patient records is nearing completion. A group that’s been planning the project for five years said Monday the network, called HealtheConnections, will help transform the way medical care is delivered in Central New York. Orrin B. MacMurray, president of...
Syracuse, N.Y. -- The first stretch of an information highway that will let Syracuse area hospitals, insurers and doctors exchange electronic patient records is nearing completion.
A group that’s been planning the project for five years said Monday the network, called HealtheConnections, will help transform the way medical care is delivered in Central New York.
Orrin B. MacMurray, president of the Health Advancement Collaborative of Central New York, a coalition of area businesses, hospitals, doctors and insurers, said the availability of electronic information will help eliminate costly duplicative medical tests and potentially reduce health care spending in the region by at least $20 million a year.
“This is one of those rare times when we can do something good for society and reduce the cost of health care,” said MacMurray, who is chairman of C&S Companies, a North Syracuse engineering company.
MacMurray and others involved in the project announced the launch of HealtheConnections at a news conference today at C&S. Rep. Dan Maffei, D-DeWitt, announced the federal government will provide $900,000 for the project. That’s on top of $2.1 million already provided by the state and $350,000 in local corporate contributions from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, MVP Health Care and National Grid.
Community General, Crouse, St. Joseph’s and Upstate University hospitals will be connected to the network by September. By February, five large doctors’ practices and the Laboratory Alliance of CNY will be linked. The network plans to eventually expand to Oswego, Auburn, Utica, Cortland and Ithaca.
The network and participating providers must abide by federal and state laws protecting the privacy of personal health information. Providers can only exchange a patient’s health information if the patient has given prior consent. The exception will be emergencies where a patient is not physically able to provide consent.
UnitedHealthcare is the only major insurer in the area not participating. “We are disappointed UnitedHealthcare has not seen the benefit that this will bring to our community,” MacMurray said. UnitedHealthcare officials could not be immediately reached for comment.
To pay for the network’s operating costs, a new charge will be imposed every time a patient is discharged from the hospital. Insurers will collect that charge on behalf of HealtheConnections. The collaborative estimated that charge will cost health plan members about 30 cents each month.
MacMurray said the savings achieved by the network will lead to either health insurance premium decreases or smaller premium increases.
Dr. David Duggan, Upstate University’s quality officer, said electronic records will be particularly helpful in emergencies and when caring for patients sent to Syracuse from outlying hospitals. “It will allow physicians to have access to patients’ records regardless of where they were seen last,” he said.
Ron Lagoe, executive director of the Hospital Executive Council, a Syracuse hospital planning agency, said the availability of electronic patient information alone will not lead to lower cost and better patient care. The technology has to be accompanied by financial and management incentives that encourage doctors and other providers to change the way they practice, he said.
“It takes more than just the data to produce the changes,” he said.