FOR RELEASE: Immediate, November 14, 2006

Gov. Pataki: $52 Million in HEAL-NY Funds Available

He Urges Health-care Providers Statewide to Apply for Health Info-Tech Funds

Governor George E. Pataki today announced the availability of $52,875,000 in grant funding to advance Health Information Technology (HIT) initiatives on a regional level. Under the terms of a five-year agreement negotiated by Governor Pataki with the federal Department of Health and Human Services, additional federal funding will be made available to supplement the State funds announced by the Governor today. Up to half the grant funds awarded, $26.4 million, under HEAL Phase 3 will be supported by F-SHRP, if grant recipients meet the qualifications.

The funding announced today is part of the State’s Healthcare Efficiency and Affordability Law for New Yorkers (HEAL-NY). The funding will be available to those health care facilities that work with other providers in their community to create information technology for sharing clinic data among health-care providers. These awards will range from a minimum of $100,000 to a maximum of $5 million.

“My administration is committed to supporting advancement of health-care initiatives that promote the delivery of high-quality health-care to all New Yorkers,” Governor Pataki said. “This funding will help improve the quality and efficiency of the delivery of health care in New York State by supporting investments in interoperable information technology such as electronic health records. We urge health-care providers across the state to apply for HEAL-NY funding.”

As part of the HEAL-NY initiative, the New York State Department of Health (DOH) and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) have issued a Request for Grant Applications (RGA) to health-care stakeholders.

Grants will be considered for up to 40 percent of the cost of an eligible Project. Successful applicants must demonstrate that their Project will:

• Assist in building an infrastructure in New York State to share clinical information among patients, providers, payers and public health entities;
• Support the statewide adoption of systems compatible with the Strategic HIT Plan that is being developed at the federal level; and
• Be able to be a part of the planned national network for sharing patient data.

Grant awards will be determined based on an evaluation of the scope of work presented, the need for the project within the community, and the degree to which the project meets the goals and priorities of the HEAL NY Program.

In general, health care entities applying for funding under this HEAL NY Phase 3 initiative will implement projects in the following categories:

• Projects supporting community-wide sharing of imaging data (e-imaging).
• Projects specifically designed to foster bi-directional exchange of public health data.
• Projects designed to expand the exchange of clinical data to increase the use of interoperable technology including electronic health records, e-prescription, and other clinical data-sharing projects.

Health-care providers interested in applying for HEAL-NY grant funding may obtain an application by visiting the DOH website at www.nyhealth.gov/technology/.

For more information, contact Press Officer Claudia Hutton at (518) 257-3382, or CHutton@dasny.org.