Understanding the Final Rule 

While compliance with the new Part 2 requirements is not mandatory until February 16, 2026, organizations can voluntarily adopt the new standards immediately. This presents an opportunity to enhance the secure and efficient exchange of Part 2-protected information across networks. 

Key changes include: 

• TPO Consent: Patients can now provide a single, broad consent for the use and disclosure of their Part 2 records for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations (TPO), eliminating the need for multiple consents. 

• Re-disclosure Flexibility: HIPAA-covered entities and business associates that receive Part 2 records under a TPO Consent may redisclose those records in accordance with HIPAA. 

• Public Health Disclosures: Part 2 records can be disclosed without patient consent to public health authorities, provided that the records are de-identified in compliance with HIPAA standards. 

• No Segmentation Requirement: The rule states that segregating or segmenting Part 2 records from other health records is not required. 

• Aligned Patient Notice Requirements: The Part 2 Patient Notice requirements now align with HIPAA’s Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP). 

• Breach Notification Obligations: The Final Rule introduces direct breach notification obligations when Part 2-protected information is improperly used or disclosed. 

Leveraging New Opportunities 

These modifications create new opportunities for more streamlined and effective information sharing, improving care coordination while maintaining patient confidentiality protections. By effectively utilizing the new opportunities presented by the 42 CFR Part 2 Final Rule, healthcare organizations can significantly improve care coordination and treatment outcomes for patients with SUD within their networks. Organizations should begin preparing now by: 

• Updating Policies and Procedures: Align internal policies and procedures with the new Part 2 requirements. 

• Implementing TPO Consent Workflows: Simplify information sharing by adopting TPO Consent workflows. 

• Ensuring Compliance with Breach Notification Obligations: Address the new breach notification requirements to maintain compliance. 

• Educating Staff: Train employees on the changes to disclosure and redisclosure under Part 2 to ensure smooth implementation. 

Join Our Webinar The 42 CFR Part 2 Final Rule: Key updates and Organization Compliance 

To help organizations navigate these changes, we are hosting a webinar on February 25th, featuring experts Jennifer D’Angelo and Helen. They will provide insights and answer questions about how to best prepare for and take advantage of these new opportunities. 

Date: February 25th 
Speakers: Jennifer D’Angelo and Helen Helen Oscislawski 
Register Here Understanding the 42 CFR Part 2 Final Rule and Leveraging New Opportunities 

We look forward to your participation!  

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This year, we’re exploring the key trends shaping long-term care and AgeTech, from regulatory shifts to innovations in AI-driven care solutions and patient-first practices. 

1. Leadership transitions in Federal and Legislative branches will influence regulatory environment and workforce dynamics: The regulatory landscape is expected to shift, with potential changes to Medicaid funding and reimbursement models and the nursing home minimum staffing mandate. Changes in Medicaid reimbursement in particular may affect access to assisted living facilities particularly for rural and low-income populations. Recruiting and retaining staff will continue to be a challenge with an anticipated shortage of 20M healthcare workers in the long-term care industry by 2040.  

2. AI and Health-Wellness Technologies will drive personalized care solutions: AI and machine learning are being used to create personalized care plans and predictive analytics to anticipate the needs of older adults and assist in diagnosis and treatment planning. Meanwhile connected health devices are allowing healthcare providers to monitor patients remotely in real time, enabling timely interventions and reducing hospital readmissions. Other digital and virtual health platforms are helping patients better manage chronic conditions and enabling access to care from home by integrating with electronic health records.  

3. New practices are placing patients and residents at the center of care: There is a growing movement to implement practices that surface what matters most to patients and residents ranging from surveys to ongoing conversations to resident councils. These low-resource, low to no-cost initiatives help staff and administrators better understand patient and resident priorities and daily lived experiences, further enabling personalized and culturally competent care. When it comes to implementing technology, particularly AI, across a facility, understanding patients and residents’ perspectives can prevent discrimination and ensure equitable access to care.  

At NJII Healthcare, our mission is to accelerate technology, foster innovation, and develop the healthcare workforce. Stay tuned for announcements of new service and program offerings across our Healthcare, AI, and LDI initiatives that will benefit long-term care, behavioral health, acute care, and beyond.  

Links: 

Senior living begins 2025 with expectations of regulatory relief but also the need to educate policymakers, consumers – McKnight’s Senior Living 

2025 LTPAC Regulatory Changes to Track | Activated Insights 

Health Tech Predictions for 2025: Integrated Care and AI Revolution | HealthPoint 

Stay Ahead in 2025: Key Insights for Healthcare Leaders – Synsormed 

Home – Moving Forward Coalition 

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State HIEs and CIEs: Distinctions and Collaborations 
State HIEs operate on a large scale, connecting health care data across cities, states or regions to connect various electronic health records systems to ease the transfer and access of key health data for providers, individuals and payers. HIEs are designed to meet federal mandates and often support public health reporting and allow for the standardization of data. This centralized approach aids policymaking, population health management, and emergency response. 

CIEs, on the other hand, are information exchanges for State and community based social service programs. This interconnection for social service programs will ease the delivery of care and can be used to integrate clinical and social health data. By promoting holistic care coordination and equitable systems change, CIEs bridge care gaps and can integrate with State HIEs to provide comprehensive solutions. 

The Chicago Regionwide Community Information Exchange (CIE): Advancing Equity and Care Coordination 

The Chicago Regionwide CIE, based in Cook County, exemplifies a community-driven approach to addressing social determinants of health. Led by the Illinois Public Health Institute in partnership with 4medica and WellConnected, this initiative connects social service organizations through an electronic platform to deliver whole-person care. By addressing critical needs such as housing and food insecurity, the CIE advances health equity and improves outcomes for vulnerable populations. 

The CIE reduces the burden on providers and beneficiaries by seamlessly linking services through advanced data-sharing tools and precise identity matching from 4medica. NJII supports this effort with a robust training program for CIE participants, offering in-person sessions, digital modules, and a comprehensive resource library. Together, these resources sustain knowledge, enhance patient care, and set a new standard for care delivery in underserved communities. 

Transform Healthcare in Your Community 
NJII’s innovative digital solutions and collaborative approaches empower communities and transform care delivery. Visit our website to learn more and explore partnership opportunities. 

The post Transforming Communities Through Digital Innovation appeared first on NJII.

As we end the year, we’d like to take a moment to express our gratitude to the 4 long-term care providers with whom we’ve partnered over the past 18 months to bring the Aging Collaborative to life. These “provider innovators” have shaped the services and products that the Aging Collaborative will offer in 2025 with their decades of experience in leveraging technology across their organizations to enhance the patient/resident experience, recruit and retain staff, and reduce cost.  

Looking ahead to 2025 

As the needs of the aging community rapidly shift requiring a new vision and model of success, we asked providers what’s top of mind as we head into 2025.  

Life Enriching Communities intends to maximize the use of our existing technology and applications. This approach will enhance our business efficiency and improve the care we provide to our residents. We will continue to invest in our advanced technology infrastructure, strategically implement AI tools, and expand the use of a LiDAR-based, algorithm driven, risk analytics platform in our AL and IL units to monitor the health and well-being of our residents, ensuring they maintain their optimal level of living while minimizing liability. – Mark Mountel, Life Enriching Communities 

Digital Transformation is a culture change in senior living. We need to invest in tools and education of the workforce to bring closer GenAI, Robotic Process Automation, and Visualization. A foundational start to prepare for subsequent meaningful AI modeling is establishing data governance and application rationalization, removing repetitive and manual processes, and building integrations, with the goal of leveraging data to create smart decision systems for enhanced productivity. – Dusanka Delovska-Trajkova, Ingleside  

The explosion of AI powered apps and systems will have a direct impact on the quality of life / quality of care and staff satisfaction in 2025. As over 10K individuals turn 65+ in the coming year, LTPAC organizations are ready for to serve them where and when their needs take them. – David Finkelstein, RiverSpring Living  

As we move into 2025, our focus at the New Jersey Innovation Institute will be on leveraging cutting-edge technology, particularly artificial intelligence and predictive analytics, along with strategic partnerships to revolutionize healthcare delivery. Our goal is to enhance patient care through innovative AI-driven solutions, streamline data management with data fabric solutions, and drive sustainable growth. Additionally, we are committed to comprehensive staff training to ensure our team is equipped to maximize these advancements. By aligning our operational strategies with our mission, we aim to set new standards in healthcare innovation and make a significant impact across industry. – Jennifer D’Angelo. 

The senior care industry is on the precipice of a major shift and the stakes have never been higher. With older adults set to make up 23% of the population by 2054, rising medical acuity, and increased demand for enhanced amenities, senior care and skilled nursing facilities must recalibrate strategy, adopt and invest in innovative technology solutions, and partner with community-based actors across the healthcare ecosystem (e.g. acute care, home health). Doing so will enable the industry to deliver top-notch resident experience and improve patient outcomes.

The post A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Healthcare Innovators: Pioneering the Future Together appeared first on NJII.

Leadership and Vision Driving Healthcare Transformation

NJII has reached new heights under the leadership of Jennifer D’Angelo and Darlene Carr. Jennifer was recently promoted to Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Healthcare for NJII and Darlene was promoted to Vice President of Healthcare. Under their leadership and strategic vision, the Healthcare Division has experienced significant growth. Strategic appointments and key initiatives have strengthened NJII’s commitment to transforming healthcare in New Jersey, with interoperability remaining a central focus.

Advancing Health Information Exchange

The NJ Department of Health’s Health Information Network (NJHIN), managed by NJII, continues to be a cornerstone of the state’s healthcare infrastructure. Connecting over 21,000 providers and enabling the exchange of more than 1 billion messages, NJHIN plays a critical role in enhancing care coordination, reducing administrative burdens, and driving seamless interoperability across the state.

Innovative Programs and Digital Transformation

NJII has launched several initiatives to support healthcare providers and tackle complex healthcare challenges. These include:

• Primary Care First (PCF): Facilitating provider onboarding to NJHIN for real-time event notifications, enhancing care coordination for PCF attributed patients.
• Increased Interoperability for Acute Care Hospitals: All 70 acute care hospitals must implement bi-directional ADT (Admission, Discharge, and Transfer) and CCDA (Consolidated Clinical Document Architecture) exchanges, including integrating the state MPI (Master Person Index) and CCDA data into their EHR systems by December 31st.
• Behavioral Health Promoting Interoperability (BH PIP) Programs: Providing financial incentives to promote interoperability and strengthen IT infrastructure for behavioral health providers.
• Aging Collaborative: Leveraging digital transformation to address critical challenges in senior care, such as caregiver shortages and rising healthcare costs, ensuring a more sustainable and effective care model.

These efforts reinforce NJII’s role as a leader in healthcare innovation, fostering improved outcomes and operational excellence across New Jersey.

Security and Compliance

NJII’s commitment to security and compliance was reinforced by achieving its second consecutive HITRUST Risk-Based, 2-Year Certification. This achievement ensures the protection of sensitive healthcare data and strengthens NJII’s ability to support critical programs like the CMS Medicaid Enterprise System (MES).

Looking Ahead

As we move forward into 2025 and beyond, NJII’s Healthcare Division remains dedicated to:

• Driving Interoperability: Facilitating seamless data exchange between healthcare providers.
• Accelerating Digital Transformation: Empowering healthcare organizations with cutting-edge technologies.
• Fostering Innovation: Collaborating with industry leaders to develop groundbreaking solutions.
• Improving Patient Care: Enhancing patient outcomes through advanced healthcare technologies.

NJII’s Healthcare Division will continue to be at the forefront of healthcare technology innovation, driving interoperability, digital transformation, and collaborative partnerships to improve patient outcomes and streamline healthcare processes across New Jersey. The commitment to advancing patient-centered care through secure and efficient data exchange remains central to NJII’s mission, as we work to meet the evolving needs of the healthcare landscape.

Together, we are transforming healthcare in New Jersey—one innovation at a time.

The post Year in Review: NJII Healthcare Division & NJHIN appeared first on NJII.

Why Participate?

Benefits Include:

• Up to $44,500 in incentive funding to invest in IT infrastructure.
• Assistance in connecting siloed systems of care.
• Enhancement of care coordination.
• Increased quality of care for patients.
• Reduce information blocking between healthcare providers and public health monitoring systems and registries.

Who is Eligible?

Behavioral Health Promoting Interoperability Program Eligibility Criteria:

• A non-profit or for-profit entity or government entity.
• Facility must have at least 20% Medicaid patient volume in the last 12 months (CHIP does not count toward patient volume and out of state patient percent shall not exceed the in-state patient percent).
• Facility must be licensed by the Department of Health’s Certificate of Need and Facility Licensure (CNL) to provide mental health services and/or SUD services.
• Substance Use facilities that are currently participating or have participated in the SUD Promoting Interoperability Program will not be permitted to participate in the BH Promoting Interoperability Program.

• Educate all Behavioral Health facilities about program milestones, deliverables, and deadlines.
• Assist in meeting all requirements to complete milestones.
• Assist in the collection of proof documents for attestations.
• Assist in the submission of attestations to the New Jersey Medicaid Management Information System (NJMMIS) portal.
• Coordinate incentive payments for Behavioral Health facilities.

Fees:

There are no fees to participate.

Those interested in joining should contact njhin@njii.com or complete our online form.

The New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII) is a 501c3 organization wholly owned by the New Jersy Institute of Technology (NJIT). As an independent corporation, NJII is uniquely positioned to be agile, entrepreneurial and opportunistic. NJII is focused on accelerating technology and fostering innovation in order to have a positive economic impact in New Jersey. To date, NJII has generated over $330M in revenue during its ten years of operation across its four divisions (Healthcare, Defense, Continued Learning, Entrepreneurship) and today has a team of 120 staff. Learn more: https://www.njii.com

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3 Key trends from the aging sector 

The growing demand for care among the US senior population, coupled with the pressure for the market and the ecosystem of stakeholders to transition to value-based care (VBC) by 2030, has created an urgent need for transformation within the senior living industry. 

1. The industry is ripe for disruption. Aging in place, value-based care, consumerism trends, and tech innovation is creating an opportunity for new entrants and existing providers to form new partnerships and deliver care in new terms. 
2. An old industry challenged with complex, legacy pressures. The Senior Living Industry, specifically small and medium-sized providers, struggles with extensive siloed applications leading to data isolation, rising healthcare costs, caregiver shortages driving staff burnout. 
3. The future is clear: customer centric and tech enabled. The growing preference for receiving care on one’s terms is coupled with new entrants that seamlessly deliver personalized care based on new types of analytics, insights, and service delivery models.   

To thrive or to merely survive? Accelerating innovation requires new tools, capabilities, and mindsets. 

To thrive today and win the future, senior care organizations need to digitally transform and become consumer centric. The Aging Collaborative equips senior care chief information, medical, and nursing officers with the capabilities to transform their organizations through strategy and insights, digital products and services, and a cross-sector learning network.  

“With the Aging Collaborative, we are building meaningful connections with senior care organizations to develop and implement technology solutions that meet their unique challenges,” shared Jennifer D’Angelo, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of the Healthcare Division at NJII. 

Join us in building a new kind of collaborative 

We’re looking for organizations with a vested interest in aging to help build the future of the Aging Collaborative, in particular: 

• Senior care service delivery 
• Individual or institutional research 
• Tech start-up 
• Foundation / nonprofit 
• For-profit corporation  

Download a copy of the collaborative white paper by completing this form.

Team:  

Jennifer D’Angelo, Chief Operating Officer and EVP, Healthcare Division 

Jennifer.dangelo@njii.com  

Valentina Miosuro, Healthcare Program Director 

valentina.miosuro@njii.com  

Julie A. Cornell, Healthcare Innovation Strategist 
julie.cornell@njii.com

The post A New Aging Collaborative to Drive Innovation in Senior Care   appeared first on NJII.

The Healthcare Division at New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII) is excited to announce the new Behavioral Health Promoting Interoperability Program.  This innovative initiative is administered by the New Jersey Department of Human Services (NJDHS), Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (DMAHS), in collaboration with the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS).

The program is designed to enhance the integration and exchange of health information across behavioral health systems, improving patient care and outcomes.  This program is part of the state’s broader commitment to supporting healthcare organizations in their journey toward digital transformation.  

Through this program, NJII is enabling behavioral health providers to meet federal interoperability requirements by adopting advanced health IT solutions that streamline the sharing of patient information securely and efficiently. By fostering seamless communication between different healthcare providers, the program aims to reduce administrative burdens, improve care coordination, and ensure that patients receive the highest quality of care.

Jennifer D’Angelo, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of the Healthcare Division at NJII, stated, “The new Behavioral Health Promoting Interoperability Program is a crucial step forward in addressing the unique challenges faced by behavioral health providers. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, we are empowering these providers to deliver more integrated, patient-centered care.”

The BH PIP program offers eligible behavioral health facilities the opportunity to implement or upgrade electronic health record (EHR) technology, paving the way for more efficient care delivery. With milestones that are incentivized for payment by the New Jersey Department of Human Services (NJDHS) and other state health agencies, this program provides a crucial financial boost to facilities committed to improving their technological infrastructure.

For more information about the eligibility please visit us Here.  

About NJII: The New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII) is a leader in driving innovation in the healthcare sector. Through its Healthcare Division, NJII provides transformative solutions that enhance healthcare delivery, improve patient outcomes, and support healthcare organizations in navigating the complexities of the modern healthcare landscape.

For media inquiries or more information, please contact:

Victoria McMullen, Vice President of Marketing
Email: victoria.mcmullen@njii.com

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What are ADT Alerts? 

ADT Alerts are created by a hospital’s Electronic Health Record (EHR) system whenever a patient is admitted to a hospital, discharged from a hospital, or transferred from one hospital to another. The data provided from these alerts includes things like patient demographics, diagnosis, patient status and location, and insurance information. Through the NJHIN, these alerts are automatically sent to providers’ EHRs and healthcare organizations in real time. 

Who Benefits from ADT Alerts? 

ADT alerts are an asset to every entity within the New Jersey Healthcare system. They are a benefit to the provider side, the patient side, and the statewide health system at large through various methods and functions: 

• Improved Continuity of Care – Providers can stay informed on their patients’ significant health updates, enabling timely follow-ups and care interventions to improve care quality and lower the cost of care. 
• Streamlined Care Coordination – ADT alerts provide immediate updates to all members of a patient’s care team, allowing health care teams to coordinate care more effectively for the benefit of the patient. 
• Simplified Transitions of Care – ADT alerts help facilitate smoother hand-offs by ensuring the receiving care team has all the relevant information they need to provide quality care to the patient. 
• Optimized Resource Allocation – ADT alerts help providers understand their patients’ location and status to ensure hospitals allocate appropriate beds, staff, and resources for their population. 

Interested in Participating? 

If you are interested in the benefits of sending and receiving ADT Alerts through your facility, you can start by joining the NJHIN today! By participating, you’re not only improving New Jersey’s overall healthcare system, but also conditions and efficiency within your practice or facility. If you represent a hospital, acute care facility, long-term care facility, federally qualified health center, or other type of facility or registry in New Jersey, your participation will contribute to the NJHIN and overall New Jersey healthcare community. If you’re interested in joining, you can visit the NJHIN website or contact us at njhin@njii.com. 

The post How Admission, Discharge, and Transfer (ADT) Alerts Help Hospitals, Doctors, and Patients  appeared first on NJII.

Digital Transformation, also known as digitization, represents the process of an organization, company, or enterprise reorganizing and restructuring itself toward a digital and data-driven framework. According to Harvard Business Review, digital transformation is ushered through five components: People, data, insights, action, and results. This transformation affects all aspects of an organization, including employee training, company culture, and data analytics. New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII) is dedicated to fostering technological advancement for healthcare providers, as accelerating digital transformation of health technology drives interoperability and ultimately, outcomes for patients. 

How Does it Apply to Healthcare?  

When it comes to the experience of patients themselves, data shows that digital transformation within hospitals and facilities has a positive effect. In 2020, during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cedar conducted a survey finding that over a quarter of patients switched away from their healthcare provider due to “poor digital experience”. The same survey found that nearly half of all patients want a smoother digital healthcare experience, and 65% say they are likely to recommend a provider who offers a “great digital experience”.  

Besides patient experience, outdated medical technology and lack of digitalization can also lead to security issues. According to The HIPAA Journal, healthcare data breaches have increased year-over-year since 2022, with 387 data breaches of 500 or more records in the first half of 2024 alone. With remote care becoming more common and accessible, healthcare cybersecurity has never been more important. 

What is the role of NJII? 

New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII) has focused on healthcare technology for nearly a decade and can support healthcare organizations with the resources and expertise necessary to comply with state mandates that improve practice operation and patient outcomes. Our flagship, the New Jersey Health Information Network (NJHIN), manages the flow of information between health providers, facilities, state registries, patients and more and does so with a focus on efficiency and security. In fact, this year NJHIN achieved its second consecutive certification status by HITRUST for information security for its key implemented systems. HITRUST Risk-based, 2-year (r2) Certification demonstrates that the organization has met demanding regulatory compliance and industry-defined requirements and is appropriately managing risk. This achievement places NJII in an elite group of organizations worldwide that have earned this certification. 

NJII wants to assist your hospital or facility with everything it needs for an effective digital transformation. Our experts will help you gain valuable data insights and achieve program milestones through data collection, processing, analysis, engineering and more. Our team has extensive experience in applying advanced analytical techniques including artificial intelligence, across various practices (pediatric, maternal health, mental health). Through these avenues, we’re able to solve complex technical problems, increase efficiency, and turn raw data into actionable insights. To learn more about how NJII is pioneering digital transformation within the New Jersey healthcare system, view our webpage. 

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