New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced this week that 122 behavioral health providers that offer children’s services would be receiving $6 million to improve or develop their technological infrastructure.
These funds, awarded statewide, will be used by providers to implement new technologies to launch or update their Medicaid billing infrastructure, according to an announcement. Specifically, this one-time funding will be used by providers to purchase technology upgrades including electronic health record (EHR) or billing software, new servers to support database systems, as well as computers, routers, and other hardware.
The funding will also be used to educate staff on how to operate these new systems. Each selected provider will receive nearly $50,000, and is under the jurisdiction of the Office of Mental Health and Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. This funding comes in addition to the $10 million in health IT upgrades that the Governor recently announced for non-profit organizations statewide. Additional health IT awards are expected to be made in the upcoming fiscal year, according to state officials.
“This administration is committed to providing the best possible healthcare environment for our state’s children,” Gov. Cuomo said in a statement. “As we transform and modernize the behavioral healthcare system, this funding will help providers utilize technology to streamline services and continue to improve the lives of young people across the state.”
