Tier Orthopedic Associates went live with consent collection and Southern Tier HealthLink (STHL) Web Portal access on March 21st, 2013.  With patient consent, authorized staff at Tier Orthopedic Associates are able to access pertinent patient health information in a timely manner.

The ability to access information such as images, transcribed reports, lab results, medication lists, and conditions across multiple care settings through the STHL Web Portal will help maximize care coordination.  Tier Orthopedic Associates has a team of seven orthopedic surgeons serving Greater Broome County, Tioga County and Northern Pennsylvania. 

To date Tier Orthopedic Associates has collected 572 affirmative (Permit) patient Consents.

Visit them on the web to find out more about the many services they provide at http://www.tierorthopedics.com/

To learn more about the STHL Web Portal contact STHL at 651-9150 or [email protected].

On March 26th Southern Tier HealthLink (STHL) hosted its bimonthly MEDENT Users Forum where a live demonstration of the new MEDENT Net2Net Direct service was provided by Jeremy Smelski, HIE Integration Specialist with Community Computer Services Inc.  The overview and demonstration was given by MEDENT remotely and not only showed how the service works but how to get started with it.  Direct with MEDENT works very much like electronic referral and requires minimal change to workflow.  MEDENT is offering the SureScripts N2N Direct messaging feature as part and parcel of version 19.6 of the MEDENT electronic health record (EHR) software.  MEDENT users were able to see how the Direct protocol works within their MEDENT electronic health record (EHR).

Seven MEDENT practices are currently connected to STHL's health information exchange (HIE) through the MEDENT HIE Subscription Services which further enhances the continuum of care.  Practices are able to send and receive Continuity of Care Documents (CCDs) to and from STHL.  By sending CCDs to the STHL HIE, the practice is helping build a longitudinal patient record - one that contains more complete health information which will help to improve care coordination.  With patient consent, the practice is able to receive a CCD from the STHL HIE which can easily be parsed directly into the patient chart within the MEDENT EHR.

As STHL moves forward in its transition to the New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) HIE platform, additional features and benefits of participation with STHL will be available.

To see the full STHL Press Release including the announcement about the MEDENT N2N Direct in our region, and more about the Direct protocol, click here. 

For more information about Southern Tier HealthLink you may contact STHL at [email protected] or 607-651-9150.

Broome Community College - Student Clinical

Ann Plocinski, a Senior year student in the Health Information Technology (HIT) program at Broome Community College (BCC), is working alongside Southern Tier HealthLink (STHL) staff to gain knowledge of the day-to-day operations of our community's Health Information Exchange (HIE) and how HIE can improve health care quality, access, and safety while reducing costs. 

The BCC Spring clinical program places students for a 6-week period during the work week at a participating organization. STHL became a participant in the BCC Student Clinical Affiliation program in Spring 2012.

Ann was born and raised in Hillcrest, NY where she currently resides with her daughter.  Ann is also a cosmetologist working at a salon in Binghamton. 

"I am excited to be at STHL and eager to learn about the day-to-day operations of the local Health Information Exchange (HIE).  I am grateful for STHL's affiliation with BCC from the clinical aspect of the HIT program and enhancing my learning experience."

CMS will be offering the webinar "CMS 2013 Medicare Incentives Programs" throughout the next month about program information for the EHR Incentive Programs, Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), and the ePrescribing Incentive Program.

The webinar provides a breadth of information on the programs, including eligibility, key program milestones, payment adjustments, and hardship exemptions. Presenters will review decision trees that show how providers can receive incentive payments and avoid payment adjustments by participating in the different programs. Providers are encouraged to join the call to learn more about how their participation timeline will affect their incentives and adjustments.

The webinar is intended for EPs and their practice managers, office staff, and all other interested parties who are eligible to participate in the programs listed above.
 

You may register for one of these calls by clicking the links below. The dial-in number and link to the webinar will be given upon registration.  

Please note: Registration closes one hour prior to the start time on the day of each call.

Want more information about eHealth? Visit the CMS eHealth website for the latest news and updates on CMS' eHealth initiatives. 

The characteristic behaviors of autism spectrum disorders may or may not be apparent in infancy (18 to 24 months), but usually become obvious during early childhood (24 months to 6 years).

As part of a well-baby/well-child visit, your child's doctor should do a "developmental screening," asking specific questions about your baby's progress. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) lists five behaviors that signal further evaluation is warranted: 

Having any of these five "red flags" does not mean your child has autism. But because the symptoms of the disorder vary so much, a child showing these behaviors should have further evaluations by a multidisciplinary team. This team may include a neurologist, psychologist, developmental pediatrician, speech/language therapist, learning consultant, or other professionals knowledgeable about autism.

For more information please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/index.html.  

To view an infographic on Autism, click here.