Category Archives: HIT Organizations

Health Information Security and Privacy Collaboration (HISPC): States Explain Privacy & Security Agreements

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HISPC releases Action and Implementation Manual
Joseph Goedert of HealthData Management reported on June 5, 2009 that “The Health Information Security and Privacy Collaboration (HISPC) has released a how-to guide for state cooperation in health care privacy and security issues.” Referred to as AIM (Action and Implementation Manual), it’s the result of collaborative work between 42 states and territories.  According to HISPC site, the ”AIM serves as a how-to guide for each of the seven multistate collaboratives’ tools and templates.”

AIM was prepared for Jodi Daniel, JD, MPH, Director and Steven Posnack, MHS, MS, Policy Analyst of the Office of Policy and Research of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT.  AIM was prepared by Linda L. Dimitropoulos, PhD of RTI International, Chicago and released in June 2009.

HISPC Site: http://healthit.hhs.gov/HISPC
Action and Implementation Manual 45-page pdf:
http://healthit.hhs.gov/html/hispc/AIMReport.pdf
HISPC Phase 3 Executive Summary (Background on AIM) pdf: http://tinyurl.com/lyrdpb

HISPC June 2009 Seminar Series
“The Seminar Series will be held throughout the month of June on Tuesdays and Thursdays and will include eight 90-minute online seminars. Each seminar will highlight the work and results of the seven HISPC multi-state collaboratives as well as follow-up analysis on state law variation completed by Georgetown University. The HISPC Collaborative presentations will focus on the tools and processes developed and how they can be used by individual, local, regional, and state-level stakeholders.”
http://privacysecurity.rti.org/Default.aspx?tabid=101

HISPC Provider Education Toolkit Video
The HISPC Toolkit for physicians and other healthcare providers  ”video {page down on the Press Kit and Tools Web page} was presented at the National HISPC Conference in Bethesda MD in March 2009 and provides a powerful message about electronic health information technology and exchange and the related privacy and security aspects. Please feel free to use this video at any event where health care providers would benefit from awareness of these issues and how to tap in to the Provider Education Toolkit websites and resources.”
http://www.secure4health.org/media.aspx

Health Information Security & Privacy Provider Education Toolkit
http://www.secure4health.org This Web site (including the video featured above) and its resources, built as one of the seven collaborative projects of HISPC, is a treasure and roadmap for educating providers and consumers. “Welcome to the Health Information Security & Privacy Provider Education Toolkit designed especially for physicians and the healthcare community. We invite you to explore our Web site, learn more about electronic health information exchange, related privacy and security implications, earn free CME credits, ask questions, and get the tools and resources you need to safely and securely get connected! ”
http://www.secure4health.org

Thanks to Fred Pennic of Healthcare IT Consultant Blog
Today’s email update from Healthcare IT Consultant Blog, produced by Fred Pennic, and his brief on the HISPC release of AIM, brought the program to my attention and led me down the path of discovery of these resources. Thank you Fred Pennic.
http://hitconsultant.blogspot.com

HISPC National Conference: March 4-6, 2009 Bethesda, MD
Presentations from ”conference showcased the common, replicable solutions developed by seven multi-state collaboratives to the privacy and security challenges presented by the implementation of electronic health information exchange at the state and organizational level.”
HISPC site with relevant working documents: http://privacysecurity.rti.org/

HITECH: An Interoperetta in Three Acts

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Four minutes of HIT Fun
Produced and performed by Ross Martin, MD, one brief session introduces and harmonizes key elements of  what’s happening in Health IT world. http://www.rossmartinmd.com/blog.htm

An Interoperetta in Three Acts

An Interoperetta in Three Acts

Dr. Martin is a serious health informatics guy with clinical, pharmaceutical, and consulting experience. And then there’s Ross’s other side, which we could all benefit from as well. So listen up to the very end, including the credits, not to miss any of the fun. While this is a serious blog, it seemed some good fun was in order.

ONC Proposes Regional IT Extension Centers

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US Seeks Input for Establishing Regional IT Extension Centers
Reported by Helen Pfister of Manatt Health Solutions for California HealthLine.  “In addition to well-publicized incentives to get doctors to start using electronic health records, the federal stimulus package also dangles financial carrots to encourage the establishment of what will amount to a new mini-industry involved with helping those doctors choose and use EHRs.

“Applicants identifying viable sources of matching funds, including but not limited to grants from states and not-for-profit foundations, and payment for services from providers. “

ONC Proposes Health Information Technology Regional Extension Centers

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Healthcare Technology News reports on Regional Extension Centers
HTN reported on June 2, 2009 that the ONC has proposed Health Information Technology Regional Extension Centers to help providers achieve meaningful use.  Funding between $1 and $10 million.  Comments due back by June 11, 2009.

Based on Federal Register May 28, 2009 notice:
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-12419.htm
Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), HHS;
Notice of Availability: Secretarial Recognition of Certain Healthcare
Information Technology Standard Panel (HITSP) Interoperability
Specifications and the Standards They Contain as Interoperability Standards for Health Information Technology
Excerpt: “We propose that the goals of the regional center program should be to:
–Encourage adoption of electronic health records by clinicians and
hospitals;
–Assist clinicians and hospitals to become meaningful users of
electronic health records; and
–Increase the probability that adopters of electronic health record
systems will become meaningful users of the technology.”
 http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-12419.htm

Excerpt: “We propose to give preference to proposed regional center
organizational plans and implementation strategies incorporating multi-
stakeholder collaborations that leverage local resources. The local
stakeholders and resources that applicants may wish to consider
including in some combination, though not limited to, the following:
Public and/or private universities with health professions,
informatics, and allied health programs; state or regional medical/
professional societies and other provider organizations; federally
recognized state primary care associations; state or regional hospital
organizations; large health centers and networks of rural and/or
community health centers; other relevant health professional
organizations; the regionally relevant state Area Health Education
Center(s); health information exchange organizations serving providers
in the region; the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization(s)(QIO(s) serving
providers that the proposed regional center aims to serve; state and
tribal government entities in the center’s geographic service area
including, but not limited to, public health agencies; libraries and
information centers with health professional and community outreach
programs; and consumer/patient organizations.”

“As noted below, we propose to give preference to
applicants identifying viable sources of matching funds. Viable sources
could include grants from states, non-profit foundations, and payment
for services from providers able to make such payment. For example,
Medicaid providers could choose to contract with a regional center in
lieu of a corporate vendor for implementation and meaningful use
support services, for which costs are reimbursable under Section 1903
of the Social Security Act, as amended by the HITECH Act. A regional
center could also, theoretically, seek to establish itself as a first-
choice source of assistance that would realize net retained earnings on
service to non-prioritized providers and use those retained earnings as
a source of matching funds for its grant-funded activities.

Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology

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ONC BOOKMARK from HIMSS Meeting
Health Information Technology for a Healthy Nation

Health IT
http://healthit.hhs.gov

Department of Health And Human Services
www.hhs.gov

Recovery Act (ARRA)
www.recovery.gov

Office of Medicare and Medicaid
www.cms.hhs.gov

Grants
www.grants.gov

Federal Business Opportunities
www.fedbizopps.gov

Central Contractor Registration
www.ccr.gov

Three Critical Organizations

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CCHIT
Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology
CCHIT “is a recognized certification body for electronic health records and their networks, and a private, nonprofit initiative. Our mission is to accelerate the adoption of robust, interoperable health information technology by creating a credible, efficient certification process.”  CCHIT  “is a private nonprofit organization with the sole public mission of accelerating the adoption of robust, interoperable health information technology by creating a credible, efficient certification process.”
http://www.cchit.org


HIMSS
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society
HIMMS  is the “healthcare industry’s membership organization exclusively focused on providing leadership for the optimal use of healthcare information technology (IT) and management systems for the betterment of healthcare.”
HIMSS’s slogan is “Transforming Healthcare through IT.”

http://www.himss.org

ONCHIT
Office of the National Coordinator
for Health Information Technology
ONCIT (or ONC)  “provides counsel to the Secretary of HHS and Departmental leadership for the development and nationwide implementation of an interoperable health information technology infrastructure. Use of this infrastructure will improve the quality, safety and efficiency of health care and the ability of consumers to manage their health information and health care.”
http://healthit.hhs.gov