ONC Releases Whitepaper on Consumer Consent Options for Electronic HIE

ONC Releases Whitepaper on Consumer Consent Options for Electronic Health Information Exchange
Emailed from ONC on March 24, 2010
“The whitepaper examines issues regarding whether, to what extent, and how individuals should have the ability to exercise control over their health information in an electronic health information exchange environment.  It looks at existing approaches and details policy options, considerations, and analysis.  This whitepaper will serve as input to, and be reviewed by, the HIT Policy Committee’s Privacy and Security Workgroup as it prepares to make recommendations related to consumer consent in an electronic health information exchange environment.  The whitepaper is the first in a series of privacy and security reports developed by George Washington University under contract with ONC.”

Privacy and Security Whitepaper Series
Consumer Consent Options for Electronic Health Information Exchange: Policy Considerations and Analysis

  • Cover Page and Executive Summary [PDF - 40 KB]
  • Consumer Consent Options — Complete Whitepaper [PDF - 735 KB]
  • Appendix A: State Model Table [PDF - 73 KB]
  • Appendix B: State Law Table [PDF - 62 KB]
  • Appendix C: Other Countries [PDF - 60 KB]
  • Privacy and Security and Health Information Technology
    Excerpted from ONC on March 24, 2010.
    “Electronic health information exchange promises an array of potential benefits for individuals and the U.S. health care system through improved clinical care and reduced cost. At the same time, this environment also poses new challenges and opportunities for protecting individually identifiable health information. In health care, accurate and complete information about individuals is critical to providing high quality, coordinated care. If individuals and other participants in a network lack trust in electronic exchange of information due to perceived or actual risks to individually identifiable health information or the accuracy and completeness of such information, it may affect their willingness to disclose necessary health information and could have life-threatening consequences. Coordinated attention at the Federal and State levels is needed both to develop and implement appropriate privacy and security policies. Only by engaging all stakeholders, particularly consumers, can health information be protected and electronically exchanged in a manner that respects variations in individuals’ views on privacy and access.”

    (The section above labelled “Privacy and Security Whitepaper Series” contains the links to the first White Paper. ONC shared additional resources shown below.)

    Other Resources

    ONC Plans National Survey on Attitudes on HIE and Privacy and Security

    ONC Plans National Survey on Attitudes about HIE and Privacy and Security
    From the Federal Register on March 19, 2010
    Proposed Project: Attitudes Toward Electronic Health Information
    Exchange and Associated Privacy and Security Aspects

    OMB No. 0990-NEW-Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.

    Abstract: “Electronic health information exchange promises an array of potential benefits for individuals and the U.S. health care system through improved health care quality, safety, and efficiency. At the same time, this environment also poses new challenges and opportunities for protecting health information. Health information technology and electronic health information exchange may also provide individuals with new, more effective methods to engage with their health care providers and affect how their health information may be exchanged. Based on findings from a comprehensive literature review, little is known about individuals’ attitudes toward electronic health information exchange and the extent to which they are interested in determining by whom and how their health information is exchanged. The proposed information collection will permit us to better understand individuals’ attitudes toward electronic health information exchange and its associated privacy and security aspects as well as inform policy and programmatic objectives.

    “The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is proposing to conduct a nationwide survey which will use computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) to interview a representative sample of the general U.S. population. Data collection will take place over the course of eight weeks. The data will be analyzed using statistical methods and a draft report will be prepared. ONC will hold a Web seminar prior to the publication of the final report to convey the findings to the general public. A final report will be posted on http://healthit.hhs.gov which will include the results and analysis.”

    Mary Mosquera of Government HealthIT reported the story on March 19, 2010.

    Key Issues Designing/Developing Statewide Technical Infrastructure Webinar: State HIE Toolkit Part Two

    “Key Issues in Designing and Developing Statewide Technical Infrastructure” Webinar
    [ONC’s State HIE Toolkit: Part Two
    “Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done”]
    The March 15, 2010 Webinar on  State HIE Technical Infrastructure was the third in the “2010 State HIE Leadership Forum Webinar Series Presented by the State Level HIE Consensus Project under the auspices of the ONC State HIE Program.” The series is listed on the Presentation and Webinars Archive Page of the State Health Information Exchange Leadership Forum, and is associated with the State HIE Toolkit. (For more on the Toolkit, see earlier post on e-Healthcare Marketing.) Additional presentations from the Archives section of the State Leadership Forum are listed below Webinar series.

    Archived Technical Assistance Webinars

    Key Issues in Designing and Developing Statewide Technical Infrastructure – March 15, 2010 

    • Webinar Slides
    • Webinar Recording (you will need the recording id and attendee key below to access this recording)
      • Recording ID: NRNB59
      • Attendee Key: 3!_zQGc

    Addressing Key Issues in Effective Strategic and Operational Planning & Establishing Governance – March 5, 2010

    • Webinar Slides
    • Webinar Recording (you will need the recording id and attendee key below to access this recording)
      • Recording ID: 5JJ6B7
      • Attendee Key: qC7X_(W

    State HIE Program Webinar – January 5, 2010

    Archived SLHIE Project Presentations & Webinars

    These are additional 2010 presentations below from SLHIE project.
    “HIT and HIE Transforming the Health Care Landscape–States at the Forefront,”
    CHIMA-HIMSS Advocacy Day, January 20, 2010

    HIE Governance for Arkansas — Key State-level Roles and Functions, Strategic and Operational Considerations,” presentation to Arkansas Governance Work Group, January 15, 2010

    eHI Connecting Communities about Leadership Forum,” presentation at eHI, January 11, 2010

    HIE Governance for Arkansas — Key State-level Roles and Functions, Strategic and Operational Considerations, ” Arkansas HIT Executive Committee Meeting, January 8, 2010

    ONC’s State HIE Toolkit: “Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done”

    ONC’s State HIE Toolkit: “Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done”
    For the Office of National Coordinator for Health IT, 2010 and the ONC’s State HIE Toolkit are about “getting things done’” to quote the title of Larry Bossidy’s and Ram Charan’s 2002 business classic “Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done.”  

    National Coordinator for Health IT  Dr. David Blumenthal spoke with reporters in a March 15, 2010 conference call about the final round of awards of  State HIE Cooperative Agreements to 16 remaining states, and said “As part of the grants, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT will give states guidance and technical assistance, essentially working ‘side by side with the states, looking at their plans and helping them to design and implement them,’” which was reported by Mary Mosquera of Government HealthIT. The State HIE Toolkit developed by AHIMA under the direction of ONC is part of the “side by side” relationship to which Blumenthal referred.

    Excerpts from the State HIE Toolkit as of March 16, 2010:
    http://statehieresources.org

    State HIE Toolkit
    State HIE Toolkit

    “Welcome to the State Health Information Exchange Toolkit.  The Toolkit is a compilation of resources provided under the auspices of the State HIE Program sponsored by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC). The Toolkit is designed to support State HIE Leadership Forum participants – the State HIE Program applicants and recipients of cooperative agreements who are either HIT Coordinators or leaders of state designated entities – with practical “how to” guidance on developing and implementing plans for achieving statewide Interoperability that align with State HIE Program milestones.  

    “As a dynamic resource, the Toolkit will be regularly updated to reflect the ongoing experiences and needs of states as well as the growing body of lessons learned about what constitute “best practices” in statewide HIE.  Throughout the Toolkit are some examples from the field of state HIE development as it has been evolving to date.  However, information and examples from ONC approved strategic and operational plans and the latest updates on ONC Program guidance will be integrated into the Toolkit as it becomes available.”     http://statehieresources.org  

    About the State HIE Toolkit
    “The Toolkit addresses the five essential domains (i.e. governance, finance, technical infrastructure, business operations, and legal/policy) and also offers information related to general planning, grant management and other cross-cutting areas such as coordination with federal programs.” 

    Toolkit Content Development
    “Contributors to the Toolkit content include a collaborative team of experts with experience in the field, led by staff from the ONC funded State-level Consensus Project (SLHIE Project).  

    “The Toolkit is inherently a “work in progress”, designed to be regularly updated to reflect the ongoing experiences and needs of states as well as the growing body of lessons learned about what constitute “best practices” in statewide planning and implementation.  

    •Throughout the Toolkit are some examples from the field of state development as it has been evolving to date.  

    •However, as it becomes available, information and examples from approved strategic and operational plans will be integrated into the Toolkit.  

    •The Toolkit will continue to link to relevant Program documents as information becomes available from the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC).” 

    Toolkit Organization & Updates
    “The number of Toolkit modules will be expanded and all of the modules will be updated on a regular basis as additional information becomes available. Subscribe to the State Forum listserv and check back often to get the most up to date information, examples and tools.”  

    Toolkit v1 – Planning Fundamentals – December 2009 Release
    Includes Modules:
    Planning Overview
    Governance
    Finance
    Technical Infrastructure
    Nationwide Health Information Network
    Grants Management  

    Toolkit v2 – Additional Modules – Early 2010 Release
    Includes Modules:
    Business Operations
    Technical Operations
    Legal/Policy
    Privacy and Security
    Program Coordination and Leverage
    Guidance on Meaningful Use
    Module Content and Structure  

    “Each module of the Toolkit contains a variety of information designed to foster learning on the topic and support states making design decisions and carrying out implementation approaches. Each Module is structured to include:  

    •Overview information about the topic
    •Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s), updated regularly in response to states’ issues and inquiries
    •Resources, including reference materials, tools and other decision supports
    •Case Studies and Examples
    •Links to Federal Program documents and guidance released by ONC and other agencies”

    HHS Announces Additional $162 Million in Recovery Act Investment to Advance Widespread Meaningful Use of Health IT

    HHS Announces Additional $162 Million in Recovery Act Investment to Advance Widespread Meaningful Use of Health IT 
    HHS Press Release: March 15, 2010

    Final awards of state health information exchange cooperative agreement program work to build health information exchange infrastructure throughout the states
    (
    Alaska, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas.)

     U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced awards to help states facilitate health information exchange and advance health information technology (health IT).  Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, today’s  awards are part of the $2 billion effort to achieve widespread meaningful use of health IT and provide use of an electronic health record by every citizen by the year 2014.  Every state and eligible territory has now been awarded funds under this program.

     “These critical investments will help unleash the power of health information technology to cut costs, eliminate paperwork, and help doctors deliver high-quality, coordinated care to patients,” said Secretary Sebelius. “States are important partners in improving and expanding our electronic health records system.  By improving the secure exchange of electronic health records between providers and hospitals within and across states, these awards mark a significant step in bringing our health system into the 21st century.”

    The health information exchange HIE awards announced today provide approximately $162 million to 16 states and qualified state designated entities (SDEs) to facilitate non-proprietary health information exchange that adheres to national standards.  Health information exchange is critical to enabling care coordination and improving the quality and efficiency of health care.   

     “Today’s announcement of awards to 16 states and SDEs marks a significant milestone with all states now empowered to start their journey towards identifying innovative ways to break down theses barriers that prevent the seamless exchange of information, so that we can give patients the access to care they deserve and expect,” stated Dr. David Blumenthal, national coordinator for health information technology.  “States play a critical leadership role in advancing the development of the exchange capacity of healthcare providers and hospitals within their states and across the nation. Health information exchange will enable eligible healthcare providers to be deemed meaningful users of health IT and receive incentive payments under the Medicare and Medicaid electronic health record (EHR) incentive program.”

    These cooperative agreements were awarded under the authority of Title XIII of ARRA, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act which amends Title XXX of the Public Health Service Act by adding Section 3013, State Grants to Promote Health Information Technology. Section 3013 provides for the awarding of competitive grants to promote health information technology.  On February 12, 2010, HHS awarded $385 million to 40 states and SDEs.  The awards announced today complete the awarding of cooperative agreements funded by this program. 

    A listing of the state HIE competitive agreements announced today follow:

    State/SDE Award Amount
    Agency of Health Care Administration (FL) $20,738,582
    The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene $9,313,924
    New Jersey Health Care Facilities Financing Authority $11,408,594
    South Carolina Department of Health & Human Services $9,576,408
    Iowa Department of Public Health $8,375,000
    Idaho Health Data Exchange $5,940,500
    State of North Dakota, Information Technology Department $5,343,733
    State of Alaska $4,963,063
    Nebraska Department of Administrative Services $6,837,180
    South Dakota Department of Health $6,081,750
    Department of Public Health, State of CT $7,297,930
    State of Mississippi $10,387,000
    Indiana Health Information Technology, Inc. $10,300,000
    HealthShare Montana $5,767,926
    Texas Health and Human Services Commission $28,810,208
    Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum $10,583,000
    Total $161,724,798

    Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 can be found here: http://HealthIT.HHS.gov

    For more information about the Recovery Act, please visit: www.hhs.gov/recovery and www.recovery.gov
    # # #

    Blumenthal Adds Post to ONC Health IT Buzz Blog
    “A Key Step Toward Nationwide Health Information Exchange”

    On March 15, 2009, National Coordinator for Health IT, Dr. David Blumenthal wrote “As part of this round of awards, 16 states and qualified State Designated Entities (SDE) will obtain the resources and technical assistance to rapidly build capacity for exchanging health information among and between health care professionals and hospitals.  Such exchange will allow any two providers in a state – and ultimately across the nation – send and receive relevant clinical and other data necessary for improved coordination of patient care.  Recipients of these awards will establish and implement appropriate governance and policies and ensure the necessary technical infrastructure and business operations are in place to support secure exchange within and across states.

    “An unprecedented level of coordination and collaboration is needed to achieve our vision of a secure, interoperable, nationwide health information infrastructure where health data can follow patients to their point of care.  We must find innovative ways to break down the barriers that prevent the seamless exchange of information, and States have to be key players.

    “I congratulate each grant recipient, and welcome a dialog on the role of states in advancing our challenging agenda.”

    HHS Press Release
    ONC: State HIE Cooperative Agreement Program Page
    “In March 2010, ONC completed the announcement of State Health Information (State HIE) Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program awardees. In total, 56 states, eligible territories, and qualified State Designated Entities (SDE) received awards.

    “The State HIE Cooperative Agreement Program funds states’ efforts to rapidly build capacity for exchanging health information across the health care system both within and across states. Awardees are responsible for increasing connectivity and enabling patient-centric information flow to improve the quality and efficiency of care. Key to this is the continual evolution and advancement of necessary governance, policies, technical services, business operations, and financing mechanisms for HIE over each state, territory, and SDE’s four-year performance period. This program is building on existing efforts to advance regional and state-level health information exchange while moving toward nationwide interoperability.”

    Additional Facts and Resources from ONC Site
    Facts-At-A-Glance
    Frequently Asked Questions
    State HIE Toolkit 
    Original Funding Announcement Information

    New Jersey HIT Commission Proposed Resolutions: Mar 11, 2010

    New Jersey Health IT Commission Proposed Resolutions
    March 11, 2010

    Update March 12, 2010: Both of these resolutions were discussed and tabled at the March 11, 2010 commission meeting to be rewritten and presented at a later meeting.
    Proposed Resolutions for March 11 NJHIT Commission meeting. 

    From Implementation Committee:
    “RESOLVED: The HIT Commission shall convene a special committee of Commission experts on EHR and HIE products, experts from the four HIEs that were forwarded to ONC for funding, and three hospital CIOs not on the Commission, to create a sophisticated methodology of evaluating software products to provide guidance for Regional Extension Centers and Curriculum Development Centers assisting health-care providers seeking to adopt and implement. This committee will develop lists of preferred vendors for various types of providers throughout the State of New Jersey.”

    From ONC Requirements:
    “RESOLVED: For the purposes of assisting the N.J. Health Care Facilities Financing Authority (HCFFA) in managing the HITECH ‘section 3013′ Health Information Exchange grant funds, the NJHIT Commission shall formulate and promulgate suggested standards, milestones, and implementation practices to the Community HIE recipient awardees within the State. Monies shall be dispersed by HCFFA to the Community HIE recipients (which were previously selected through a competitive Request-For-Applications process) with ongoing adherence to the recommendations by the NJHIT Commission, which will specify benchmarks delineated by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology in consultation with the Community HIE recipients. In the event that the NJHIT Commission has not recommended the necessary guidance in certain areas, HCFFA will employ accountability and interoperability standards from the Office of the National Coordinator. In the event that Community HIE recipient awardees violate 1) the accountability standards enacted by the NJHIT Commission and HCFFA, in either substance or time limit and/or 2) Violates the terms and conditions of funding of HITECH section 3013 through the Office of National Coordinator, HCFFA reserves the right to: 1) stop further funding to HIE Community Recipients until the issues are resolved and/or 2) Request that funds dispersed be returned by the Community HIE recipient(s) back to HCFFA.”

    See e-Healthcare Marketing post for meeting agenda.
    See NJHITCommission page:
    http://www.state.nj.us/health/bc/hitc.shtml

    NIST Launches Health IT Standards and Testing site

    NIST Launches Health IT Standards and Testing site
    http://healthcare.nist.gov
    On February 26, 2010, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) launched the NIST Health IT Standards and Testing web siteExcerpts from the new site: ”This site provides information about the key health IT testing initiatives underway. It provides an overview of the Health IT Standards Testing Infrastructure,

    NIST HIT Standards and Testing

    NIST HIT Standards and Testing

    information and access to the test methods to meet meaningful use technical requirements and standards, access to the Health IT Implementation Testing and Support website, as well as educational material on conformance and interoperability testing.”

    This program is overseen by the NIST Information Technology Laboratory (ITL).

    The site is dividied into four major sections:
    1. Health IT Testing Infrastructure
    2. Meaningful Use Test Methods
    3. What is Conformance Testing
    4. Health IT Testing and Support  

    1. Health IT Testing Infrastructure
    “NIST is responsible for leading the development of the core health IT testing infrastructure that will provide a scalable, multi-partner, automated, remote capability for current and future testing needs.  

    “The objective of the Health IT Standards Testing Infrastructure Project is to harmonize the efforts of healthcare standards test development and delivery to meet the demands for conformance and interoperability within the healthcare domain. This is accomplished by working in collaboration with health IT stakeholders such as vendors, implementers, standards organizations and certification bodies to establish a testing infrastructure…”  

    Project Stakeholders
    “NIST will work with stakeholders to establish and utilize a testing infrastructure that will help ensure that the health information of Americans is exchanged safely, securely, reliably, and only to appropriate sources, and that the standards used are appropriate, consistent, and effective. The stakeholder landscape is outlined as follows:” 

    NIST Stakeholders

    NIST Stakeholders

     HITSP, SDOs, NHIN contribute standards and specifications. HIT vendors, system implementers, NHIN participants, and 3rd party testing organizations conduct testing. Certification bodies perform certification.

    “The testing infrastructure is intended to centralize health IT testing resources to provide the U.S. healthcare IT industry and the Federal Government with a robust conformance and interoperability testing capability.”

    2. Meaningful Use Test Methods
    “In support of the health IT certification program, NIST is developing the conformance test methods (test procedures, test data, and test tools) to ensure compliance with the meaningful use technical requirements and standards.

    “In developing the test methods, NIST has conducted an analysis of the HHS/ONC Interim Final Rule (IFR) published in the Federal Register on January 13, 2010 including:
    –the functional and interoperable requirements
    –the referenced standards
    –the derived test requirements based on the functional and interoperable requirements and referenced standards
    –the test methods and test procedures which could be used to validate conformance with the derived test requirements
    –the assumptions which may influence the selection of a specific test method or the scope of testing”

    3. What is Conformance Testing
    NIST provides the necessary conformance tests, test tools and techniques to advance healthcare information technology standards that are complete and testable. As an introduction and overview into testing, the following articles provide details around healthcare information technology conformance and interoperability testing.”

    Articles on Conformance Testing

    4. Health IT Testing and Support
    The Health IT Implementation Testing and Support website provides health IT implementers with access to the tools and resources needed to support and test their implementation of standards-based health systems. The site provides information about the key initiatives that serve as the foundation for the nationwide health IT infrastructure. It provides an overview of the HITSP Interoperability Specifications and the standards that they reference; and provides access to the test resources that are available to support their implementations.

    “Visit the Health IT Implementation Testing and Support website for more information.”  

    ONC Posts Roles and Bios for Communications, Adoption, State HIE/Beacon Directors

    ONC Posts Roles and Bios for Communications, Adoption, State HIE/Beacon Directors: Deering, Kendall, Cronin
    Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health Information Technology posted roles and bios on March 8, 2010,  for
    –Acting Director, Office of Communications, Mary Jo Deering, PhD;
    –Acting Director, Office of Provider Adoption Support (OPAS), Mat Kendall, MPH; and
    –Director, Office of State and Community Programs, Kelly Cronin, MPH, who oversees the State HIE Cooperative Program and Beacon Community Program. Roles and bios are excerpted from ONC Web site:

    Mary Jo Deering, Ph.D.
    Acting Director, Office of Communications
    “Mary Jo Deering, Ph.D, is currently the Acting Director for Communications in the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  She leads comprehensive, HHS-wide communication activities related to the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, which provided $2B to ONC to support the transformation of American health care through the adoption and meaningful use of HIT and the secure, interoperable exchange of health information.  She also oversees ONC’s cooperative agreement with the National eHealth Collaborative, a public-private partnership that promotes the development of a nationwide health information system.

    “Previously, Dr. Deering was the Director for Informatics Dissemination and Outreach in the National Cancer Institute’s Center for Biomedical Informatics and Information Technology, which leads the cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG).  She also served as Lead Staff for the NCVHS National Health Information Infrastructure Workgroup, and for the NCVHS Workgroups on the Nationwide Health Information Network and on Secondary Uses of Data, all of which provided recommendations for the HHS Secretary. While serving as Deputy Director for eHealth and Management in the HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, she led innovative programs in consumer health informatics, including convening the first scientific panel that laid the foundations for evaluating interactive online consumer health programs and promoting their effectiveness.   Dr. Deering served on the Federal Communication Commission’s Advisory Committee on Telecommunications and Health Care.”

    Mat Kendall, MPH
    Acting Director, Office of Provider Adoption Support (OPAS)
    “Mat is currently the Acting Director of the Office of Provider Adoption Support (OPAS), in the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC).   OPAS is responsible for administering the Regional Extension Center (REC) cooperative grant program, which is working with organization across the Country to assist primary care providers in priority settings to achieve meaningful use of an electronic health records system.  OPAS is also responsible for running the Health Information Technology Research Center (HITRC), which will assist RECs across the country to communicate and share best practices, tools and other resources.  Finally, OPAS is responsible for administering the Workforce Community College cooperative agreement programs, which will partner with community colleges to train students for specific fields related to health information technology.  

    “Prior to working at ONC, Mat was the Director of Operations for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Primary Care Information Project (PCIP). The PCIP helped primary care providers in medically underserved communities adopt electronic health record systems.  In addition to being responsible for managing the program’s budgets, contracts and staffing, Mat managed teams responsible for outreach, EHR implementation, hardware support, and other aspects of the implementation process.  During Mat’s time at the PCIP, nearly 1,500 providers were recruited to the program and implemented electronic health record systems.  

    “Prior to working for the PCIP, Mat served as Executive Director of the Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley, a federally-qualified health center in San Jose California.  He was responsible for writing a successful “330 New Start” grant for the Center and conducted a capital campaign that enabled the IHC to purchase a new building and to overhaul its information technology infrastructure.  Mat has a Masters in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. from Haverford College.”

    Kelly Cronin, MPH
    Director, Office of State and Community Programs
    “Kelly Cronin directs the Office of State and Community Programs in the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. She has been involved in establishing and evolving the national agenda for Health IT over the last 6 years in various roles in ONC, the Office of the Secretary, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. She currently oversees the State Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program and Beacon Community Programs in ONC.  

    “Prior to ONC, Ms. Cronin directed patient safety initiatives at the Food and Drug Administration and coordinated the drafting of the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act while working for the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee. Her work experience also includes health policy analysis, health services research, and clinical trial coordination. She holds a masters degree in Public Health from George Washington University (GWU), and is a lecturer in the Department of Health Policy.”

    New Jersey Health IT Commission Agenda–March 11, 2010

    NJHIT Commission Meeting Agenda
    Thursday, March 11, 2010

    3 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
    Dept. of Health and Senior Services,
    Health and Agriculture Building, 1st Floor Auditorium,
    369 South Warren Street, Trenton, NJ 08625.  
    Page: http://www.state.nj.us/health/bc/hitc.shtml

    AGENDA (pdf version)
    Chair and moderator: Kennedy Ganti, MD
    Topics
    1. Overview of Meeting–Kennedy Ganti, MD  5 mins
    2. Status Report on Response to ONC Grant  15 mins
    –Jed Seltzer
    –William O’Byrne
    3. Status Report on four HIEs 15 mins
    –Representatives from Health-e-Citi, Northern & Central HIE Collaborative, South Jersey HIE, and Camden Coalition
    4.  Report-outs from Each Committee 15 mins
    –Stevie Davidson
    –Kennedy Ganti, MD
    –Al Gutierrez
    5. Medicaid IT Planning Update 15 mins
    –Colleen Woods
    –Michele Romeo
    6. Introduce Framework and Timeline for Interim Report 15 mins
    –Kennedy Ganti, MD
    7. Lessons Learned from Government Health IT Conference & HIE Summit 10 mins
    –Kennedy Ganti, MD
    –Jed Seltzer
    –Stevie Davidson
    –Helen Oscislawski
    8. Collaborations with Professional Societies, Outside Groups 10 mins
    –Kennedy Ganti, MD
    –Jed Seltzer
    9. Public Comment Period/OPMA
    General public present

    National eHealth Collaborative Launches NHIN University

    NHIN University Launched by National eHealth Collaborative
    Next Class March 16, 2010; Archives of First Class Available
    National eHealth Collaborative (NeHC) announced March 2, 2010 “the creation of ‘NHIN University,’ a program designed to educate and engage health IT stakeholders on efforts to develop the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN).” eHealth Collaborative is the successor to AHIC–American Health Information Community.

    “The inaugural semester of NHIN University will feature a series of webinars intended to provide stakeholders with foundational knowledge about what the NHIN is, how it works, and the vital trust fabric that underpins the safe and secure exchange of health information.”

    NHIN 101: An Introduction to the Nationwide Health Information Network
    February 22, 2010
    The first course took place as part of a stakeholder’s forum of the board of directors of eHealth Collaborative. The initial presentation was led by Douglas B. Fridsma, MD, PhD, Acting Director, Office of Standards and Interoperability, ONC; Mariann Yeager, Contractor to ONC; and David Lansky, PhD, President and CEO of Pacific Business Group on Health, and Chair, NHIN workgroup of HIT Policy Committee. It was followed by an expert panel discussion including some slide presentations.
     Versions of the program are available in different formats:
    Stakeholder Forum/Board of Directors–Feb 22, 2010 Page
    Meeting Agenda
    Presentation Slides
    Meeting Transcript
    Recorded Webinar (audio and clear slides)
    Recorded Video (audio/video of participants and fuzzy slides)

    Register for Future Classes 
    www.nationalehealth.org/NHIN-U
    NHIN 102: Secure and Meaningful Exchange of Health Information over the Internet
    March 16, 2010 2:00pm ET
    Faculty: Professor Douglas Fridsma, MD, PhD, Acting Director, Office of Standards and Interoperability, Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC), and Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics at Arizona State University will teach the course.

    NHIN 103: Architectures for Health Information Exchange and their Use
    Mid-April
     Date to be Announced
    Faculty: Richard Kernan, NHIN Specification Lead (Contractor), ONC.

    NHIN 104: The Trust Fabric of the NHIN: Making Exchange a Good Choice
    Mid-May Date to be Announced

    NHIN 200, will be announced later this year.