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Hixny Introduces Statewide Healthcare Encounter Alerts

In a significant advancement for healthcare providers in New York, Hixny has officially launched a new patient encounter alerts system following a contract award from the Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY). This initiative enables healthcare professionals and insurers statewide to receive immediate notifications about patient encounters, a move aimed at enhancing patient care and streamlining operations across the state.

What Are Healthcare Encounter Alerts?

Encounter alerts serve as real-time notifications to healthcare providers regarding the admissions, discharges, or transfers of their patients within various healthcare settings. This is crucial in ensuring continuity of care, especially for individuals transitioning between different healthcare environments such as hospitals and outpatient facilities.

Hixny's alert system is an evolution of existing tools designed to facilitate communication among New York's healthcare community. It works independently of health information exchange (HIE) connections. This means that even providers who are not connected to Hixny's data streams can opt to receive these alerts, thus improving access to critical patient information regardless of their primary HIE. Patients also enjoy the benefit of privacy as they are not required to give additional consent for their providers to receive these alerts.

Comments from Hixny's Leadership

Mark McKinney, CEO of Hixny, expressed his enthusiasm for the new system, stating, "We are pleased that SHIN-NY awarded Hixny's encounter alert system the contract to expand across New York state. For more than 25 years, we've worked collaboratively to make it easier for the healthcare community to deliver evidence-based, knowledge-driven patient care. This rollout of our proven alert capability is a step forward in improving transitions of care statewide."

This rollout underscores Hixny's commitment to driving healthcare innovation and improving the delivery of services that ultimately enhance patient outcomes.

Why Choose Hixny's Encounter Alert System?

One of the major advantages of Hixny's alert system is its ability to maintain existing workflows for providers. Alerts can be directed to multiple electronic health record (EHR) systems, including widely used platforms such as Athena, eCW, EPIC, Cerner, MEDENT, Meditech, and NextGen. This functionality allows providers to incorporate alerts seamlessly into their current working systems without disrupting established processes.

Hixny has also designed the alert system to minimize unnecessary notifications while allowing providers to tailor alerts to specific patients in their panel admitted to or discharged from emergency and inpatient care. This tailoring further enhances the efficiency of care delivery.

Security and Accessibility

The alerts are created adhering to national leading security standards, ensuring that sensitive patient information remains protected and compliant with applicable state regulations. This security aspect is particularly vital in the context of growing concerns over data privacy in healthcare.

Changes in SHIN-NY Structural Framework

Historically, community HIEs across New York received funding from the state to offer a consistent set of core services. However, the structure is shifting. Now, a select few HIEs will provide specific services, including the encounter alerts, to all SHIN-NY participants. Hixny has been chosen as one of these select entities, which reflects its reputation and capability in the sector.

Cost Structure and Access

For providers who accept Medicaid, accessing these alerts will be free of charge. Conversely, those who do not participate in Medicaid can expect to pay a nominal system access fee. Health insurers have a slightly different fee structure; they can receive alerts for Medicaid members without charge, while non-Medicaid alerts will incur a minor fee.

For those interested in enrolling in Hixny's alert system, Bryan Cudmore, Hixny’s Vice President of Account Management, is the contact point for further information and enrollment procedures.

About Hixny

Hixny stands as a nonprofit electronic health information exchange (HIE) at the forefront of integrating health data technology. Renowned for its contributions to security and data integration, Hixny aims to transform patient records exchanges from a simplistic data point system to a platform that enables dynamic healthcare decision-making in real-time. With a mission to break down the silos traditionally present in healthcare, Hixny enhances the quality of care while reducing workflow complexities and costs.

As a certified entity of SHIN-NY, Hixny is dedicated to improving healthcare services and making patient-centric care a reality across New York State.