By Eileen Buckley
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wbfo/local-wbfo-938741.mp3
Buffalo, NY – The New York State Health Department delivered a ten million dollar grant to a local initiative called HEALHeLINK.
HEALTHeLINK is a collaborative effort to share clinical information and ways to improve the delivery of care.
"We at the Department of Health look forward to partnering with HEALTHeLINK on this very important statewide initiative. New York is leading the nation through its investment and policy direction supporting broad use of health information technology to improve health care and public health," said Rachel Block, Deputy Commissioner of Information Technology at the New York State Department of Health.
Daniel Porreca is executive director. He said HEALTHeLINK will work with the state Health Department on a statewide initiative to develop and implement a clinical data exchange related to population and public health targeting child health immunization, newborn screening, chronic disease and cancer.
"Things that are typically reported and it may take time to get that data to the state of New York, so they can get the information to the county public health departments for things like reportable diseases, like the H1N1, and what the spread of that is," said Porreca.
Erie County Health Commissioner Anthony Billittier said the secure link will allow health officials to monitor the population's health. Billittier said it will allow them to utilize de-identified data for future health resource planning and disease prevention.