Boca HealthLink Connects Patients of Boca Regional, Northwell Health

BOCA RATON, Fla., Jan. 21, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Northwell Health (formerly North Shore-LIJ Health System) and Boca Raton Regional Hospital (BRRH) are encouraging thousands of New York area residents with second homes in or near Boca Raton to enroll in Boca HealthLink Exchange, a program that enables healthcare providers to share medical records of patients served by Northwell facilities and BRRH.

The first-of-its-kind service ensures that Northwell patients and their families who travel south during the winter months will experience the same level of world-class patient care and customer service in south Florida as they are accustomed to in the New York area. The HealthLink initiative is an outgrowth of the affiliation between Northwell and BRRH that began in 2014.

Patients who enroll in Boca HealthLink Exchange and pre-authorize the sharing of records can receive the following services from both organizations:

• A Boca Raton Regional Hospital care navigator onsite to ensure patients' needs are met in Florida.
• Physician referrals and concierge appointment scheduling in Boca Raton available Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Availability of Northwell medical records in Florida, and enhanced communication between providers at Northwell and BRRH.
• New York Call Center assistance available 24/7.

"Our patients want to experience the highest quality of life, whether they're enjoying New York during the summer or taking pleasure in the warmth of Florida during the winter months," said Michael J. Dowling, Northwell Health's president and chief executive officer. "Northwell Health's relationship with Boca Raton Regional Hospital provides better continuity of care for the thousands of patients who split time between New York and Florida. Patients enrolled in Boca HealthLink know that their health records are readily available at both health systems."

Mr. Dowling said Boca Regional's exceptional programs and services make the hospital an excellent match with Northwell Health, which operates 21 hospitals and nearly 450 outpatient practices, covering a service area with more than eight million people in the New York metropolitan area. "We're partnered with an organization that shares our level of commitment to patient care," he said. "Boca Regional, which again has been listed as a US News & World Report Top Ranked Regional Hospital, is an institution that we recommend to our patients with great confidence."

"It is a privilege for us to collaborate with Northwell Health in the care of their patients," said Jerry Fedele, president and CEO at Boca Regional.  "We take great pride in a healthcare system of their stature placing its trust in us."

For more information about Boca HealthLink, go to www.NY2Boca.com. Patients can enroll in the service by calling (844)NY2-BOCA.

About Northwell Health
Northwell Health (formerly North Shore-LIJ Health System) is New York State's largest health care provider and private employer. With 21 hospitals and nearly 450 outpatient practices, we serve 8 million people in the metro New York area and beyond. Our 61,000 employees work to change health care for the better. We're making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institute. We're training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine and the School of Graduate Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. And we offer health insurance through CareConnect. For information on our services in more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu.

About Boca Raton Regional Hospital
Boca Raton Regional Hospital is an advanced, tertiary medical center (www.brrh.com) with 400 beds and more than 800 primary and specialty physicians on staff. The Hospital is a recognized leader in oncology, cardiovascular disease and surgery, minimally invasive surgery, orthopedics, women's health, emergency medicine and the neurosciences, all of which offer state-of-the-art diagnostic and imaging capabilities. The Hospital is a designated Comprehensive Stroke Center by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA).

Boca Raton Regional Hospital is the recipient of the 2013 Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence^TM for the ninth year in a row and was named one of America's 50 Best Hospitals in 2011, 2012 and 2013, both by Healthgrades^®. Boca Raton Regional Hospital was also recognized for the fourth time in the last five years in U.S. News & World Report's 2015-2016 Best Hospitals listing as a top-ranked hospital in the South Florida metropolitan area.

SOURCE Northwell Health