October 10 is World Mental Health Day, a day to raise global awareness on mental wellness and behavioral health resources. The New York State Office of Mental Health, or OMH, is dedicated to this mission and vision year-round, overseeing a system that serves nearly 800,000 people annually.

This agency has a clear need for reliable record keeping, and to serve this need, the ITS dedicated OMH team recently oversaw the launch of the updated Mental Health Automated Record System, or “MHARS.” This system helps keep medical records accurate and available, while adhering to important regulations around this type of sensitive data.

On this episode, Director of Electronic Health Records and Patient Systems for the ITS OMH/OASAS dedicated team Tapesh Chaturvedi, alongside Cody Catalfamo, Associate Commissioner and Chief Medical Information Officer, for OMH as well as Christine Borchers Director of Electronic Health Record Operations for OMH, will describe the development and launch of this important recordkeeping system.

Thank you for listening to the IT’S a Tech Podcast. For more information about ITS, visit our website at its.ny.gov. Follow us on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

The New York State Department of Labor is a crucial organization for the thriving business community in New York State. Employers and workers in New York count on DOL for unemployment benefits, career development resources, workforce protections and so many other programs and incentives.

As you can imagine, with so many important functions, communication is crucial for this agency.

On this episode, Deepti Roy, Project Manager on the DOL Dedicated Team at ITS, describes the recent launch of the DOL Virtual Agent, which has made an enormous difference in reducing call volume, getting New Yorkers the resources and information they need faster and more efficiently through the responsible use of AI.

Thank you for listening to the IT’S a Tech Podcast. For more information about ITS, visit our website at its.ny.gov. Follow us on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

The growth of technology has always been part of the human story, since the invention of tools and eventually the wheel. Technology is what has allowed our civilization to evolve, address challenges, and improve daily life.

In recent history, computer technology has grown exponentially, allowing the average person to achieve tasks that our grandmothers and grandfathers could only dream of – GPS applications alone have allowed those of us who are “navigationally challenged” to explore the world around us with relative ease!

With that growth comes the need for government to make sure that technology is being used responsibly and isn’t causing undo harm. In the United States, and specifically in New York State, legislation has evolved in-step with technology, from safety regulations in factories to traffic safety laws to data privacy protection.

On this episode, Valerie Lubanko, Deputy General Counsel, and Matthew Miller, Director of Policy and Legislation, will discuss some legislation in the world of information technology and data privacy, including how it could impact New Yorkers.

Thank you for listening to the IT’S a Tech Podcast. For more information about ITS, visit our website at its.ny.gov. Follow us on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.