Welcome,
Rochester RHIO Participants!

Rochester RHIO has announced that their participants will migrate to HealtheConnections. This transition will take place this winter with ongoing data feed migration continuing into early 2027. At the conclusion of this migration from the Rochester RHIO, all health information exchange (HIE) services will be delivered through HealtheConnections.

Many Rochester RHIO participants currently or have worked with HealtheConnections, and we are pleased to welcome you into our network and support a smooth transition.

Learn more: Rochester RHIO

At the request of the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) has led a statewide effort to streamline Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY) infrastructure, share services, reduce duplication, and make the best use of healthcare resources. Through this model, participants have the benefit of designating their Health Information Network (HIN) under the Statewide Common Participation Agreement (SPCA) at any time.

In practice, an organization with broad connectivity in a participant’s region is best able to serve a SHIN-NY participant, and the Rochester RHIO partnership with HealtheConnections is designed to provide them with that infrastructure.

Rochester RHIO participants that transition to HealtheConnections will do so under a coordinated transition plan designed to minimize disruption. HealtheConnections, Rochester RHIO, and state partners are working closely together to ensure participants have the information and resources they need to prepare for the migration to HealtheConnections.

Communications and onboarding activities are underway and will continue throughout the transition. RHIO Administrators, Authorized Users, and other organizational contacts will receive relevant updates, resources, and onboarding information as transition activities progress. In general, RHIO Administrators should only have a few onboarding tasks to complete prior to the transition date. Authorized Users should plan to attend a training/review resources prior to the transition date.

Participants should continue using Rochester RHIO services as they do today, including critical functions such as results delivery.

Communications and onboarding activities are underway. RHIO Administrators, Authorized Users, and other organizational contacts will receive relevant information, resources, and any action items needed to prepare for the transition. Please review and respond accordingly.

In the meantime:

• Watch for emails from Rochester RHIO or HealtheConnections (support@healtheconnections.org) regarding the transition.
• Review communications carefully and share relevant information with appropriate staff and users within your organization.
• Complete any requested action items by the stated deadlines.
• Contact us if you have questions. We will assist or direct you to Rochester RHIO, as appropriate.

If any action is needed, we will communicate it directly by email and provide clear instructions, deadlines, and support resources.

Transition-related communications will be sent from HealtheConnections at support@healtheconnections.org. To help ensure you receive important updates, please add this email address to your organization's safe sender list.

To ensure continuity of services, all Rochester RHIO participants that do not designate another HIN will automatically be served by HealtheConnections. This default designation is intended to ensure Rochester RHIO participants continue receiving HIE services following the migration. Plans will be coordinated so that you will continue to have access to critical services and regional data, with limited interruption in service, as you transition to HealtheConnections.

However, this does not mean that participants are required to participate in the SHIN-NY through HealtheConnections. You may select another HIN if you feel it better suits your needs. As part of NYeC’s guidelines, participants can change their HIN designation at any time, if they choose to do so.

Learn more:

• HealtheConnections SCPA Website
• NYeC's SCPA Website

If you would like HealtheConnections to become your Designated or Additional HIN, you do not need to take any action.

Rochester RHIO is partnering with HealtheConnections to continue serving Rochester-area participants. As part of this transition, your organization will be included in the migration to HealtheConnections, and no action is required from your organization to continue participating.

If you would prefer to select a different Designated or Additional HIN, you may do so by completing the SHIN-NY SCPA HIN Election Schedule Amendment Form. For planning purposes and to ensure reliable service continuity, if you do not make any changes to your Designated HIN election by October 15, 2026, your organization will automatically be included in the transition and will become a HealtheConnections participant.

You may also make changes to your HIN election(s) in the future should your organization’s needs or preferences change.

If your organization already participates with HealtheConnections, additional information will be provided regarding next steps in the coming weeks.

No action is required at this time unless you receive specific instructions.

As part of the transition, participants will move from Rochester RHIO services to applicable HealtheConnections services. Review the Service Comparison Guide to see how current Rochester RHIO services compare and what to expect.

HealtheConnections’ health information exchange services support the same workflows and patient care needs, and they are currently utilized by more than 4,000 offices and 2,000 portal users daily.

Informational Sessions for Users will provide an overview of our services, including what users can expect during the transition, HIE portal demonstrations, and available training and support resources.

Yes. In alignment with the statewide strategy, Rochester RHIO participants should continue transitioning from Rochester RHIO's current alerts service to the Statewide Encounter Alert Service (SEAS).

For more information about HealtheConnections' alerts: HealtheConnections’ Statewide Encounter Alerts Service

You should expect to see a similar range of information to what you currently receive from Rochester RHIO. Upon migration, you will see data for almost all sources back to 1/1/2026. Data migration will continue over the coming months to include data back to 1/1/2024.

Existing patient consents collected using the Rochester RHIO consent form will transfer to HealtheConnections. HealtheConnections uses the same consent model as Rochester RHIO, helping minimize disruption to patient care and access to clinical information.

As part of onboarding, HealtheConnections will provide organization-specific consent forms and guidance. Once transitioned, organizations will begin using HealtheConnections organization-specific consent form for all new patients.

While existing Rochester RHIO consents will remain valid, it is recommended to have patients complete the HealtheConnections consent form at their next visit.

HealtheConnections uses the SHIN-NY consent form, as Rochester RHIO does, so it is very similar. However, organizations will receive a HealtheConnections organization-specific consent form as part of onboarding.

Once transitioned, organizations will begin using the HealtheConnections consent form.

Consent workflows vary by organization. Please work with your RHIO Administrator to understand your organization's process and responsibilities for obtaining patient consent.

If your organization currently uses, or plans to use, the New York State Health Home Consent Form (DOH-5055) in place of the SHIN-NY consent form to cover Rochester RHIO and HealtheConnections, please contact HealtheConnections before using it. Our team will work with you to ensure the appropriate consent process is in place for your organization.

Patients who previously signed a Rochester RHIO consent form may have questions about what happens to their consent during the transition. Information surrounding this process is available at www.healtheconnections.org/rrhio-patient-consent-notice.

The Rochester RHIO services you use will continue for the time being. However, you may see increased service response times. If you have questions about a specific service, please reach out. Results delivery and other services that are important to you will continue functioning as they have for the near future until they transition to HealtheConnections.  

For assistance with any Rochester RHIO service, please continue to contact their Support team at support@grrhio.org or (877) 865-7446.

Yes! HealtheConnections is offering Informational Sessions for Rochester RHIO Authorized Users throughout the transition. These sessions cover what users can expect, HIE portal demonstrations, and available resources relevant to using HealtheConnections.

HealtheConnections will communicate directly with users about the sessions and how to register. Users can also view available session dates and register here.

Onboarding communications will include instructions for accessing HealtheConnections. If you are a current Rochester RHIO user, you will receive information specific to your transition and access.

No. Your Rochester RHIO and HealtheConnections accounts will not be merged. Your Rochester RHIO account will no longer be used after the transition, and you will access services through HealtheConnections. Before the transition, your organization’s RHIO Administrator will review and approve the services you currently use.

We expect access to HealtheConnections to begin in December. Additional information, including the specific transition date and access instructions, will be shared as it becomes available.

If your organization already has an integration in place with Rochester RHIO, no action is required. Existing integrations will be addressed as part of the migration process.

Organizations interested in establishing new integrations should email support@healtheconnections.org to discuss available options and next steps.

Rochester RHIO is continuing to onboard only new Provider Portal users—users will continue to be onboarded through October 27. Beginning October 28, 2026, onboarding will be paused for new users requesting Rochester RHIO services, including Explore+, MyResultsDelivered (MRD), and DIRECT (Secure Messaging Service). Existing users and services will remain available during the transition to HealtheConnections. 

Rochester RHIO is no longer onboarding new organizations. If you are a new organization, you may explore your options here: How to Connect & Use the SHIN-NY | New York eHealth Collaborative

HealtheConnections, RRHIO, NYeC, and NYSDOH are working closely together on migration plans and timelines and ensure participants have the information, resources, and support needed to prepare.

Communications and onboarding activities are underway. RHIO Administrators, Authorized Users, and other organizational contacts will receive relevant information, training opportunities and resources, and any action items needed to prepare for the transition.

See our Events and Training Calendar for the most up-to-date listing of webinar sessions and office hours.

To help ensure you receive important updates, please add support@healtheconnections.org to your organization's safe sender list. You are also encouraged to monitor this webpage and the Rochester RHIO website for coordinated updates.

Please continue to monitor this page and your email for updates throughout the transition.

To sign up for email updates from HealtheConnections, click here.

Communication has begun with RHIO Administrators using contact information that Rochester RHIO has on file.

If you currently serve as a RHIO Administrator and did not receive this email, please contact HealtheConnections at support@healtheconnections.org. We will verify your contact information, provide you with the email, and ensure you receive future updates.