Friday, May 3, 2024
5/3/2024
Project Title: State Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program States/territories: State of Maryland Applicant Name: Maryland Health Care Commission Address: 4160 Patterson Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21215 Contact Name: David Sharp, Ph.D. Contact Numbers: Phone: 410-764-3578; Fax: 410-358-1236 E-Mail Address: dsharp@mhcc.state.md.us Web Site Address: www.mhcc.maryland.gov Congressional Districts: Maryland Congressional Districts 1-8 Brief: The Maryland Health Care Commission has placed a high priority on advancing health information technology, including the implementation of a statewide health information exchange and the adoption of electronic health records. In August 2009, Maryland designated a multi-stakeholder group to implement the statewide health information exchange, and allocated $10 million through the all-payor rate setting system to fund the initiative. Maryland is the only state to pass legislation requiring state-regulated payers to provide incentives for the adoption of electronic health records and has developed a web-based product portfolio. One of the largest payers in the state has facilitated the development of a collaborative among safety-net providers to host electronic health records. Abstract The Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) is the state agency designated by the Honorable Governor Martin O???Malley to advance health information technology (HIT) in the state. Three years ago the MHCC began the process of planning a health information exchange (HIE) by engaging numerous stakeholders to address fundamental policy issues and to plan a course of action. Legislation was passed in 2009 that required the MHCC to designate a multi-stakeholder group to implement a statewide HIE. Through a competitive process, MHCC selected a non-profit organization, Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients (CRISP), which includes Johns Hopkins Medicine, MedStar Health, University of Maryland Medical System, Erickson Retirement Communities, and more than two dozen other stakeholder groups. In August 2009, Maryland awarded $10 million through its unique all-payor rate setting system to fund HIE over three years. The HIE makes possible the appropriate and secure exchange of data, facilitates and integrates care, creates efficiencies, and improves outcomes. A statewide HIE will support high quality, safe, and effective health care; make certain that data is exchanged privately and securely; ensure transparency and stakeholder inclusion; support connectivity regionally and nationally; be financially sustainable; and serve as the foundation for transforming health care in Maryland. The HIE will enable: critical information to be shared between providers of different organizations and different regions in real-time; the use of evidence-based medicine; public health initiatives in biosurveillance and disease tracking; and emergency preparedness efforts that will positively impact health outcomes by providing greater access to secure and accurate health information. The HIE hybrid architecture will be capable of connecting approximately 47 acute care hospitals and 7,907 physician practices throughout Maryland. Connection to the HIE will be implemented on a Use Case basis, which will be determined by CRISP with input from the Policy Board. The infrastructure will support the meaningful use requirements and eventually connect with other HIEs regionally and nationally. The CRISP Advisory Board will guide development of the five domains supporting the grant program. The policies governing the exchange will be established by the Policy Board established by the MHCC. The HIE will provide a mechanism for authorized individuals to perform sophisticated analytics and reporting for public health, biosurveillance, and other appropriate secondary uses of data.
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).
