Monday, November 25, 2024
11/25/2024
Project Abstract Project Title: Alabama Health Information Exchange States/territories Included in Application: State of Alabama Applicant Name: Alabama Medicaid Agency Applicant Address: PO Box 5624, 501 Dexter Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36103-5624 Contact Name: Kim Davis-Allen, Director of Transformation Initiatives Contact Phone Numbers: Voice: (334) 242-5011 Cell: (334) 328-0504 Fax (334) 353-4818 E-Mail Address: kim.davis-allen@medicaid.alabama.gov Website Address: http://www.medicaid.alabama.gov/Transformation/Transformation_HIE_Initiatives.aspx Congressional Districts within service area: Congressional Districts 1-7 (Statewide) Status of State HIE Achievement: Since January 2007, the Alabama Medicaid Agency has established basic health information exchange (HIE) in Alabama through a Medicaid Transformation Grant (MTG) initiative known as Together for Quality. As a result, Alabama has a web-based electronic health record system that compiles claims-based information from both Alabama Medicaid and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama as well as certain physician- entered clinical information. This information is available through an end use application known at QTool or through uni-directional CCD exchange. Alabama???s current HIT system is a hybrid model, with Medicaid data centralized and other data sources pulled in at the time of query. Now, the lessons learned from this initiative position our state to move forward to develop the statewide policy, governance, technical infrastructure and business practices needed to support both the delivery of HIE services and providers??? ability to meet meaningful use criteria. Alabama will build the necessary capacity to meet long term goals for local, state, regional and national interoperability and exchange with the goal of such an exchange to advance the adoption and meaningful use of electronic health records by a diverse group of health care providers in order to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of health care delivered. Simultaneously, Alabama seeks to build the necessary capacity to meet long term goals in all five essential domains. Alabama???s approach is to build upon current infrastructure to give providers the ability to exchange multiple layers of information among themselves and with others to drive quality improvement. This would initially be supplied as a limited data and decision support set, then expanded based on decisions made by an independent leadership organization. To that end, our objectives include: 1) development of comprehensive strategic and operational plans; 2) establishment of a broad-based independent organization that will have HIE governance authority and sustainability responsibility; 3) creation of trust and consensus on an approach for statewide HIE with oversight and accountability; 4) development and maintenance of a strong collaborative relationship with the Regional Extension Center and other initiatives to facilitate the provider education and adoption of EMRs; 5) expansion of the state???s current HIE system. Expected outcomes include 1) Development of functional business rules and policies to implement HIE and facilitate meaningful use; 2) Implementation of governance, membership and involvement framework and requirements; 3) Key decisions made regarding future sustainability and financing of the HIE; 4) Implementation of technical infrastructure and architecture to physically enable HIE in a secure and appropriate manner; and 5) Implementation of protocols to ensure privacy and security standards within an interoperable environment. The products to be derived from this project include Strategic and Operational Plans, interim and final evaluation reports, data reports and articles for publication and presentation, and abstracts for national conferences.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
