Statewide Health Information Exchanges (HIE) come in all shapes and sizes but have one thing in common: To improve the quality, safety and efficiency of health care delivered in their states. Here are updates being reported from these organizations.
Vermont: VITL
Update on the Vermont State Health IT Plan – Armed with information gathered from their steering committee, individual stakeholder interviews, 96 health care professionals at five envisioning sessions that were held around the state in late summer, and 542 responses to a community stakeholder survey, the VITL (@VITLVT) project team has set about drafting the 2016 version of the Vermont Health Information Technology Plan. Mandated by statute, and guided by a clear vision, the project team headed by Steve Maier, HIT coordinator and health care reform manager for the Department of Vermont Health Access and Laura Kolkman, president of Mosaica Partners, is readying the first draft of the revised VHITP. The objective is to have the revised plan approved by the Green Mountain Care Board in January, 2016.
Georgia: GaHIN
GA Completes Connection with AL to Support State-to-State Exchange – Georgia Health Information Network (GaHIN), Georgia’s statewide health information exchange (#GaHIN), and Alabama’s One Health Record announced the success of an electronic connection between the two networks. This is the second state-to-state health information exchange (HIE) connection for GaHIN, which connected with the South Carolina HIE in 2014, and is one of only a few interstate connections in the nation.
Arizonia: AzHeC
Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative Award – Arizona Health-e Connection (@AzHeC) is one of 39 health care collaborative networks selected to participate in the Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative, announced by Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell. Arizona Health-e Connection will receive a one-year award of $3.6 million with a potential award of up to $14.6 million over four years to equip clinicians in the Arizona region with tools, information, and network support needed to improve quality of care, increase patients’ access to information, and spend health care dollars more wisely.
Arkansas: SHARE
Arkansas Children’s Hospital Joins SHARE – Physicians and providers all over the state can now access immediately and securely exchange current, updated electronic health records (EHRs) for thousands of Arkansas children, thanks to the contributions of Arkansas Children’s Hospital, which is now pushing data through SHARE, the Statewide Health Information Exchange (@SHAREarkansas).
California: CAHIE
CAHIE and NATE Collaborate – CAHIE (@info_CAHIE) is pleased to announce that we have formed a collaboration with the National Association for Trusted Exchange (NATE) to more effectively enable health information sharing among providers and between providers and consumers. As part of this collaboration, NATE will transition administration of the Provider-to-Provider Trust Bundle to CAHIE. The trust bundle was the first national framework dedicated to facilitating Direct messaging among providers and currently enables exchange among organizations across the nation, including in California, Oregon, Utah, and Alaska. This is a momentous step for CAHIE – the expanded relationship will allow our members to work more closely with NATE, while allowing CAHIE to focus on expanding exchange among provider organizations nationwide.
Colorado: CORHIO
Grant Opportunities – Colorado physician practices and medical clinics may be eligible for both monetary compensation and free services from one or more of many healthcare grants being offered in Colorado. CORHIO (@CORHIO) is participating in several of the healthcare grant programs and partnering with medical practices to help them participate and receive incentives. Here are details on three of these grants — Evidence Now Southwest, Transforming Clinical Practices Initiative, and State Innovation Model. The commitment required from practices varies, but at a minimum, the grants ask participating practices to compile basic data for process and outcomes measures tracking and/or to participate in care coordination improvement programs.