A local medical records technology firm, eHealth Technologies, has been awarded up to $2 million in state tax credits.

The announcement was made Tuesday at the Henrietta-based firm during an event attended by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Although the amount of the award wasn't announced at the event, Vincent Esposito, director of the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council, said afterward that the award would come in the form of tax credits by creating 160 jobs over 10 years.

Since it was founded in 2006 with four employees, eHealth has grown to about 225 employees.

Major medical centers, including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, are among eHealth's clients.

"The hospitals tell what records they want. We get them electronically," said eHealth Chief Operating Officer Jeff Markin.

Doctors and hospitals that the patient has gone to are contacted by eHealth, which organizes the records and images sought, such as X-rays, and then sends them digitally to the requesting hospital.

The $2 million award was made by the Empire State Development Corp.'s Excelsior tax credit program.

"The company is a perfect example of innovation and technology," Empire State President and CEO Howard Zemsky said in his introductory remarks at Tuesday's news conference.

Ken Rosenfeld, who is the CEO and president of eHealth, told about the growth of the Rochester area as a leader in technology and how his company's services help patients get the care they need faster.

Cuomo noted the "now hiring" lawn sign at eHealth and how the company is part of an emerging high-tech economy.

"The Rochester area should have been Silicon Valley before Silicon Valley," said Cuomo, telling of Rochester's roots in technology and the large number of graduates with degrees in engineering produced by colleges such as Rochester Institute of Technology.

"They were doing commercialization of academic advancement before anyone called it commercialization," Cuomo said.

After appearing at the eHealth news conference, Cuomo made a quick visit to Rochester's new train station on Central Avenue, which is scheduled to open next month.

The new station is on the site of the old one, which was demolished.

More:All aboard for the new Rochester train station

JGOODMAN@Gannett.com