NOTICE OF ROCHESTER REGIONAL HEALTH AND ST. LAWRENCE HEALTH AFFILIATION; EFFECT ON ACCESS TO PATIENT INFORMATION THROUGH THE STATEWIDE HEALTH INFORMATION NETWORK OF NEW YORK (“SHIN-NY”).
Effective January 1, 2021, Rochester Regional Health and St. Lawrence Health entered into an affiliation agreement. This agreement formalizes plans to provide superior care and service for all the residents of Rochester, the Finger Lakes, Western NY, and the North Country. To better coordinate patient care, preserve health and enhance lives, Rochester Regional Health and St. Lawrence Health, it’s hospitals (Rochester General Hospital, Unity Hospital, United Memorial Medical Center, Newark Wayne Community Hospital, Clifton Springs Hospital and Clinic, Canton-Potsdam Hospital, Gouverneur Hospital, and Massena Hospital) and other affiliates (including physicians, staff, and other facilities) will share resources and medical information, including electronic and paper medical records, effective April 25, 2022
If you were a patient of any of the aforementioned organizations, you were asked to sign a consent allowing providers at these entities to access your health information through a Regional Health Information Organization (“RHIO”), such as Rochester RHIO, HIXNY, or HealtheConnections. If you signed a RHIO consent form for any of these entities prior to January 1, 2021 at a Rochester Regional Health or St. Lawrence Health location, your records will now be available throughout Rochester Regional Health and St. Lawrence Health locations via the Statewide Health Information Network of New York (SHIN-NY), effective April 25, 2022 unless you “opt-out” as instructed below. The RHIOs are not changing; however, access to your records will become available to caregivers in all Rochester Regional Health and St. Lawrence Health locations via the SHIN-NY to better coordinate your care.
If you want to “opt-out” of the access described above, please call 1-800-437-8931 before April 22, 2022.
For more information regarding information sharing practices, please consult the Rochester Regional Health and St. Lawrence Health Notices of Privacy Practices available through your providers or call 1-800-437-8931. Additional information on your consent choices is available here.
