Gov. Kathy Hochul announced more than $2.6 billion in state investments to strengthen New York’s safety net hospitals, with a focus on modernizing EHR systems.
The funding — part of the Health Care Safety Net Transformation Program — supports six new partnerships between hospitals and healthcare organizations to improve operations, expand services and stabilize financially vulnerable hospitals serving underserved populations.
Several projects will implement or unify EHR systems to improve patient access, data sharing and clinical efficiency, according to an Oct. 16 news release.
In Western New York, Erie County Medical Center and the University at Buffalo Physicians Group will use a portion of the funding to deploy a communitywide EHR system across ECMC and UB’s medical practices. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz called the implementation of Epic for ECMC, Kaleida Health and UBMD “a transformative moment to modernize healthcare in Erie County.”
In Brooklyn, Maimonides Medical Center plans to introduce a new EHR system as part of its partnership with NYC Health + Hospitals. The system aims to improve care coordination and enhance the patient experience, while supporting Maimonides’ efforts to strengthen its role as a regional specialty care provider.
Westchester Medical Center plans to unify its EHR system as it integrates Bon Secours Charity Health System and Health Alliance of the Hudson Valley into WMCHealth. The system said the project will streamline operations and support its data-driven approach to care across nine facilities and 6,200 square miles.
The New York State Department of Health will oversee the transformation projects as hospitals implement their plans.
The Health Care Safety Net Transformation Program, established in the fiscal year 2025 budget, encourages collaboration between safety net hospitals and larger healthcare organizations through capital, operating and regulatory support.
