8/12/2019 Wegman Letter

1/1

February 8, 2014

Dear New York Legislator:

Wegmans Food arkets en!ourages you to su""ort t#e $o%ernor&s '() million budget a""ro"riation *or New York&s+tatewide ealt# -n*ormation Network .t#e +-N/NY

We belie%e t#e +-N/NY will make !riti!al ad%an!ements towards im"ro%ing #ealt#!are *or all New Yorkers w#ilelowering o%erall #ealt#!are !osts s a large, sel*/insured em"loyer, Wegmans bene*its *rom lower #ealt#!are !osts3#e use o* t#e +-N/NY, w#i!# allows *or swi*t and !on*idential trans*erring o* ele!troni! #ealt# re!ords, #as beens#own to lower #ealt#!are !osts in our region and t#roug#out t#e state y making it "ossible to immediately s#are t#e%ital #ealt# in*ormation t#roug# t#is e5!#ange, t#e +-N/NY will also ensure t#at do!tors !an "ro%ide t#e best 6uality!are

W#en a "atient&s "ro%iders use ele!troni! #ealt# re!ords, t#ey #a%e a!!ess to a "atient&s u"loaded medi!al in*ormationin!luding medi!ation, lab and radiology re"orts 3#is !an be !riti!al in emergen!y room situations i* a "atient is

un!ons!ious or unable to !ommuni!ate -t is also im"ortant *or !#roni!ally ill "atients w#o need se%eral do!tors to!ollaborate w#ile addressing di**erent as"e!ts o* t#eir disease

3#e $o%ernor&s *unding *or t#e +-N/NY will #el" to redu!e #os"ital readmission rates, redu!e du"li!ate or redundanttesting, and lower state #ealt#!are !osts We #a%e already seen e%iden!e *or t#is #ere in 7o!#ester Wit# our own #ealt#in*ormation e5!#ange e**orts, w#ere use o* t#e 7o!#ester 7- redu!ed #os"ital readmissions by ))9 and lead to 29*ewer radiology tests +tarting nine years ago a grou" o* businesses w#i!# in!lude aus!# ; Lomb, ero5, Wegmans, ?ay!#e5, 7o!#ester -nstitute o* 3e!#nology and @as!o 3ools .toget#er #a%e o%er 200,000 em"loyeesand ')0 billion in annual re%enue "ro%ided a substantial amount o* seed money and em"loyee talent to #el" !reate t#e7o!#ester 7egional ealt# -n*ormation rganiAation .7- We #a%e been strong su""orters o* our 7- e%er sin!et#en ur 7-, a!!ording to t#e New York +tate Bommissioner o* ealt# and ot#ers #a%e stated t#at, our 7- is by*ar t#e best 7- in New York +tate and one o* t#e best in meri!a Dr De+al%o, t#e new leader o* NB .**i!e o*t#e National Boordinator during #er =eynote s"ee!# at -++ .a large national #ealt# -3 !on*eren!e wit# C0,000 in

attendan!e re*eren!ed #ow t#e 7o!#ester 7- e**orts #a%e demonstrated t#e %alue o* #ealt# in*ormation e5!#ange:ealt# -3 is also im"ro%ing !are and sa%ing li%es and redu!ing !osts For e5am"le, t#e 7o!#ester 7- #as !onne!tedt#ousands o* "ro%iders a!ross 1C !ounties and been a %ery su!!ess*ul model *or #ealt# in*ormation e5!#ange 3#ey #a%eredu!ed re/admission rates to t#e #os"ital by more t#an #al* and #a%e been able to redu!e unne!essary imaging by at#irdE s stated abo%e, we are %ery su""orti%e o* t#e $o%ernor&s '() million budget a""ro"riation as t#is will enable usto do statewide w#at we #a%e been able to do in t#e 7o!#ester 7egion and t#en take all o* New York +tate to an e%en#ig#er le%el

For t#e reasons abo%e, it is our *irm belie* t#at t#e +-N/NY is a %aluable in%estment

We urge you to a""ro%e t#e $o%ernor&s *unding *or t#e +-N/NY

+in!erely,

Danny WegmanB