New York eHealth Collaborative Shines a Spotlight on Five Champions of Progress in Health IT This Year

NEW YORK, Sept. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Alexandra Cohen's father passed away because of healthcare that was uncoordinated. Not all of his medical records were kept electronically and so were not fully shared between his specialists. Because of this, Alie left a successful career at Microsoft to join the cause of updating health information technology and now works at the non-profit New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC). Alie's story is just one of the many reasons that complete and accessible electronic health records are critical, and one of the important stories that will be told at the NYeC gala and awards ceremony next month. Visit nyecgala.org for more information.

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In the year since the first NYeC gala, there have been revolutionary advancements in health IT throughout New York and across the nation. On Monday, October 15^th, five champions of health IT will be highlighted at the event, which will be hosted by the dynamic Maria Bartiromo, anchor of CNBC's "Closing Bell with Maria Bartiromo."

• General Electric CEO Jeffrey R. Immelt's work in standardizing health technology creates a clear path for products being developed across the globe, helping software and other systems work together and making electronic health records accessible from a doctor's office, to a specialist's iPad, to a school nurse's computer.
• IBM Chairman Samuel J. Palmisano spearheaded a vision of connected, intelligent healthcare in which the patient is the initial point of design for health systems. Pioneering new models of care and wellness, delivering new technologies that can monitor and analyze health information in real-time, and ushering in a new era of healthcare with advanced computing technology, IBM technology and research helps address some of the most pressing healthcare problems.
• The Elmwood Health Center of Buffalo debuted its cutting-edge telemonitoring program this year to help patients with chronic disease keep on track with their care programs. This work was done in partnership with HEALTHeLINK, and the WNY Beacon Program.
• New York Health IT practice champion, Dr.Sumir Sahgal, of the Bronx, created a portable health IT system that helps him treat the chronically ill and homebound in his borough.
• The pioneering work of Louise West, of Saratoga Springs led to her practice being among the first in New York to achieve the federal "Meaningful Use" health IT designation.

"This is an amazing era for Health IT. We have many milestones to celebrate. This year's awardees are doing truly meaningful work and it's an honor to recognize that. We want to champion and learn from the best," says David Whitlinger, Executive Director of NYeC.

This year's Gala is part of NYeC's 2012 Digital Health Conference, held October 15^th-16^th in New York City. The conference brings together a diverse group of professionals from the healthcare, health IT and other related fields, for two days of lively intellectual exchange. For more information about the Conference and the Gala, and for additional sponsorship opportunities, please visit digitalhealthconference.com.

2012 Gala Details
The New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) will host their 2^nd annual Gala & Awards Ceremony on Monday, October 15^th, to support and honor health IT innovators whose outstanding accomplishments have served to move healthcare forward throughout New York State and beyond. The event will be held on the Manhattan waterfront and include culinary excellence by Abigail Kirsch, live music, good company and insightful conversation. The event is hosted by the NYeC Board of Directors.

Honorees and Award Winners
The 2012 NYeC Gala will honor the Career Achievements in the Advancement of Health IT of General Electric's Chief Executive Officer, Jeffrey R. Immelt and IBM's Chairman of the Board, Samuel J. Palmisano, both of whom have shown a long-standing commitment to the advancement of healthcare technology. Immelt's work with the standardization and interoperability of health systems, improvement of EHRs and mobile healthcare applications, and leadership within GE has revolutionized the industry. Under Palmisano's leadership, IBM is redefining value in healthcare -- through health information exchanges, health analytics and especially IBM Watson for Healthcare, a new kind of cognitive computing system that uses natural language capabilities, hypothesis generation and evidence-based learning to support medical professionals in making faster, better decisions on patient diagnosis and treatment.

The 2012 New York Health IT Visionary award is presented to those whose use of technology measurably improves the lives of its community members through care coordination. This year, NYeC is proud to honor the Elmwood Health Center, of Buffalo, for their work with HEALTHeLINK, and numerous accomplishments as part of the WNY Beacon Program.  NYeC will also present the New York Health IT Practice Champion award to Dr.Sumir Sahgal, of the Bronx, and Louise West, of Saratoga Springs, for their pioneering contributions to advancing healthcare through technology, and use of Health IT in their respective areas of practice.

Platinum Benefactors of the Gala include GE Healthcare and NewYork-Presbyterian; Gold Patrons are Aetna, Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS), Maimonides Medical Center, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP, Montefiore Medical Center, and North Shore-LIJ Health System; and Silver Supporters include NYU Langone Medical Center and Orchestrate Healthcare. Proceeds will benefit the effort to improve patient care and lower costs, through technology-enabled healthcare systems.

About The New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC)
NYeC is a not-for-profit organization, working to improve healthcare for all New Yorkers through health information technology. Founded in 2006 by healthcare leaders, NYeC receives funding from state and federal grants to serve as the focal point for health IT in the State of New York. NYeC works to develop policies and standards, to assist healthcare providers in making the shift to electronic health records, and to coordinate the creation of a network to connect healthcare providers statewide. The goal of NYeC is that no patient, wherever they may need treatment within the State of New York, is ever without fast, secure, accurate, and accessible information. www.nyehealth.org.

SOURCE The New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC)