June 04, 2010 01:47am EST 

It is all said in their tag-line, “The Value of Membership, the Power of Association.”  The Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) is an association that is aimed to advance the health of New York individuals and communities through leadership, representation, and service to hospitals, health providers, and health systems across the entire continuum of care.
The “value of membership” lies in their open consideration of their members’ views, and their subsequent use of their unique understanding and representation of diverse to influence decision makers.  They also offer HANYS Solutions, an affiliate service that provides many marketplace solutions to members seeking to thrive in the challenging environment of today.
The “power of association” is found in the advocacy that they offer to all of New York’s hospitals and health systems at all levels of federal and state government.  With access to policy leaders, HANYS is an integral player in health policy discussions.  Members have their concerns and positions communicated by HANYS to New York and national media in support of the Association’s legislative and regulatory initiatives.  In the past, HANYS advocacy victories have included beating back billions of dollars in proposed state Medicaid cuts and taxes, defeating arbitrary staffing ratios, and ensuring that managed care plans meet their legal obligations.
On November 23, 2009, HANYS will host a web conference named “Connecting the Dots: How Quality of Care and Hospital Finances Interrelate.”  With this conference, HANYS is continuing to educate finance and quality professionals in the definitions of the quality measures that will be introduced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in the years to come.  Connecting the Dots will be valuable to many members of health organizations and will teach attendees about:
where quality measures originate
process and outcome measures
the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems; and
working with teams across the organization to receive the full marketbasket adjustment.
The conference is just another example of how HANYS advocates and informs the New York hospitals and health care systems, as well as the workers that often spend the majority of their day working for the health of New York citizens.  Those who are interested in attending the Connecting the Dots should visit either the event or the main website for more information.