14 New York State Non-Hospital Systems Receive Grants to Enhance Patient Note-Sharing
In 2023, NYHealth selected 14 non-hospital systems from across New York for grants totaling nearly $800,000 to support them in sharing open notes effectively with patients.
Shared visit notes, often referred to as open notes, are an important way to help people become active participants in their own care. When patients have access to their own visit notes written by health care providers, they better remember and act on information discussed during visits, improve communication with their health care team, and better manage their health. The 21st Century Cures Act, a federal mandate, requires health care providers to make clinical notes available to patients electronically and at no charge. However, the level of compliance and, most importantly, the proactive use of open notes to improve care vary among health systems.
NYHealth has long supported the spread of open notes throughout New York State. Most recently, in response to the note-sharing mandate, NYHealth supported a cohort of 16 hospitals to go from good to great in their note-sharing and associated patient engagement.
Learn more about the grant recipients and their projects.
NYHealth, in partnership with the OpenNotes national program office, is providing the 14 non-hospital systems selected through this RFP with funding, technical assistance, and peer-learning opportunities to share open notes with patients effectively.
The systems selected for awards and participation in technical assistance represent nearly all regions of New York and various types of primary care providers. These systems serve marginalized patient populations, including people of color, people with low income, immigrants and refugees, non-English speakers, LGBTQ youth, homebound older adults, individuals experiencing homelessness, and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
NYHealth also awarded a grant to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where the national OpenNotes program office is based, to provide technical assistance to the 14 systems as they undertake their projects.
