HIE Commission approves strategic plan, operational plan next
A strategic plan that provides a conceptual framework upon which to implement a statewide health information exchange was approved May 7 by members of the Alabama Health Information Exchange (HIE) Advisory Commission.
With the approval of the state’s strategic plan, the HIE Advisory Commission and its six workgroups will now focus on development of an operations plan to implement the exchange, according to Kim Davis-Allen, director of the Alabama Medicaid Agency’s Transformation Initiatives Division.
“The strategic plan will serve as the framework upon which everything else will be built,” said Davis-Allen. The implementation plan will be more focused on issues such as how to engage physicians to participate in the exchange, the rules that will regulate the exchange and its operations, and how the exchange will be funded. The strategic plan was drafted by a team led by Patricia MacTaggart, of George Washington University’s Health Policy Department, who is serving as consultant to Alabama’s HIE planning effort.
The Commission informally submitted a copy of the plan to the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health Information Technology May 11 to gain feedback in further shaping of the exchange. Feedback from the ONC regarding the strategic plan is anticipated by early June, while the strategic plan is expected to be officially submitted alongside the operational plan to ONC by late July.
“This is a critical component of our work,” said Alabama Medicaid Agency Commissioner Carol H. Steckel during the meeting. “While the feedback is not official, it will help us to focus our efforts on any areas that may need additional attention.”
Other items that were discussed at the meeting included the continued search for a permanent State HIT Coordinator and possible names and logos for the exchange. The State HIT Coordinator will replace Margaret McKenzie, who was named interim coordinator by Gov. Bob Riley.
To learn more about the HIE Commission and its activities, go to www.onehealthrecord.alabama.gov