Foothold Sets Stage for Interoperability with HIE Testing

Foothold Technology, a leading provider of Electronic Health Record (EHR) software, announced that it is testing data exchanges with Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIOs), a type of Health Information Exchange (HIE) being leveraged in New York State. Presently, Foothold is deploying data exchange functionality to connect with a handful of RHIOs that will be test cases for the statewide SHIN-NY RHIO.

These tests are a stepping stone in Foothold’s plans to launch an Interoperability Center that will position health care providers in a Health Home or other Continuum of Care to participate in safe, secure, HIPAA-compliant data exchanges in compliance with recent and emerging legislation. The ARRA legislation (Stimulus Bill) and the Affordable Care Act have combined to generate and incentivize better cooperation between providers of physical health and mental health or behavioral health through Health Information Technology (HIT). A critical tool for providers to have in order to participate is an EHR that is capable of exchanging data with any other health record. The new HIT regulations are driven by the belief that electronic access to cross-disciplinary data will enable providers to offer less expensive and more effective care.

Says Marlowe Greenberg, Foothold’s CEO, “While focused in NY at this point, our work is setting the stage for our providers in every state to be able to achieve Interoperability. From County exchanges in California to HIEs in Ohio and Behavioral Health Homes in New Jersey, Foothold is out front on all the exchanges going up nationally.” He adds, “Our commitment is to make cutting edge technology, like Behavioral Health Data Interoperability, affordable for everyone.”

About Foothold Technology
Foothold Technology offers web-based software developed specifically for behavioral health and human service providers. More than 600 agencies across the nation count on Foothold’s AWARDS software to manage services including Mental Health, Alcohol & Substance Abuse, Developmental Disabilities, Homeless & Housing, Employment & Training, Youth & Family, and more. With origins and roots in social services, AWARDS is a complete Electronic Health Record that also supports administrative activities, including facilities maintenance, human resources, scheduling and alerts, audit reports, and automated billing. AWARDS is certified for Meaningful Use. For more information, visit www.footholdtechnology.com.