Friday, November 22, 2024
11/22/2024
The Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI), a non-divisible component of the Massachusetts Technology Park Corporation, was created in 2008 by the Massachusetts legislature to deploy Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems in all health care provider settings networked through a State-wide health information exchange (HIE). Any grant agreement or other contractual relationships that arise in the context of this application and/or the implementation of a State-wide EHR network will be with MTC. The State-wide Strategic Plan was recently revised to conform HIE planning in Massachusetts to the requirements of the federal State Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program. Massachusetts has a long and successful history using health information technology to support health care policy, beginning in 1978 with creation of the Massachusetts Health Data Consortium (MHDC). MHDC served as an incubator to create numerous multi-stakeholder initiatives, e.g., the New England Health Care Electronic Data Exchange Initiative (NEHEN) created in 1997 to enable compliance with HIPAA for administrative transactions, security and privacy; the establishment of Simplifying Healthcare Among Regional Entities (MA-SHARE) in 2004; and the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative???s pilot program that deployed 500 EMR systems in three communities networked with community based HIE. These and other projects have placed Massachusetts in a leadership position in both health care policy and HIT. It is estimated that approximately 40% of Massachusetts physicians have EHR systems and 48% of hospitals have installed Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) systems. NEHEN remains operational, as do other organizations that contribute to a high level of electronic transactions across the Commonwealth. NEHEN currently supports several EDI transaction types from January 2008 through August 2009, processed 2,168,372 eligibility requests, 1,643, 591 new prescriptions and renewals and over 700,000 medication requests. For public health reporting, 25 hospitals are currently sending notifiable infectious disease results (90 conditions) via a standard electronic message to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH). Additionally, 17 hospitals are electronically reporting, in real time, demographic and clinical data elements that are automatically triaged by MDPH???s web based disease surveillance system to detect possible clusters or outbreaks of illness such as influenza. Full interoperability with Medicaid, MDPH and other State agencies is also anticipated for the State-wide HIE. The proposed HIE Operational Plan will build on the recently revised Strategic Plan by providing a detailed road map for the deployment of a State-wide HIE. MeHI staff will operate a Program Management Office to oversee implementation of the State-wide HIE. The State-wide HIE will be based on the expansion of existing architecture, services and capabilities. MeHI shall leverage the organizations and infrastructure already in place, with appropriate modifications to technical architecture, services and governance. Industry leaders and key stakeholders will have numerous opportunities to provide their recommendations and share their expertise with MEHI. MeHI is committed to ensuring broad stakeholder support and engagement. Once operational, the State-wide HIE for Massachusetts will help ensure that the Commonwealth will realize the goal of ensuring the quality, efficiency and safety of health care to all of its residents.
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).
