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​HITOC and OHA are pleased to share that HITOC's Draft Oregon Strategic Plan for Health IT, 2024-2028 is now available!

Oregon's Strategic Plan for Health IT provides high-level priorities, guidance, and direction for health IT over the next five years, and includes HITOC's Vision, Goals, Principles, Strategies, and Activities for health IT in Oregon. The plan was developed over a multi-year process involving HITOC meetings, two workgroups, and extensive community engagement (See Community Engagement and Input Report 2018-2023). The Strategies focus on patients and consumers, electronic health records (EHRs), health information exchange (HIE), community information exchange (CIE), interoperability, and governance.

The plan is intended for everyone using or impacted by health IT in Oregon. To provide feedback to HITOC on this Strategic Plan or other topics, please email HITOC.info@odhsoha.oregon.gov or provide public comment at a HITOC meeting. Please see the Strategic Plan webpage for more information on the process and further materials and resources.

Oregon’s Health Information Technology Oversight Council (HITOC) is accepting applications for new members!

The Office of Health IT and Analytics Infrastructure is excited to announce recruitment for Oregon’s Health Information Technology Oversight Council (HITOC).

HITOC members are responsible for setting health IT strategies that support Oregon’s health system transformation and health equity goals and improve the health system. They are also responsible for making policy recommendations, assessing the health IT landscape, and providing programmatic oversight. HITOC reports to the Oregon Health Policy Board, and the Board approves HITOC’s membership.

HITOC is recruiting for several open positions.

We’re looking for candidates who have strong lived and professional experience with health IT and how it impacts people in Oregon. Ideal candidates are committed to eliminating health inequities and ensuring health system transformation efforts are supported by health IT.

To ensure equitable representation, and based on known gaps in current representation, we are seeking diverse representatives from all areas of the State, especially:

  • Behavioral health organizations
  • Community-based organizations and social services
  • Coordinated Care Organizations (CCO) and health plans
  • Healthcare consumers, including people with disabilities and consumer advocates
  • People with experience working and living in long-term care
  • Students and youth involved in health IT
  • Geographic representation, particularly those who have experience with remote or sparsely populated areas such as Central or Eastern Oregon
  • Representation from racially and culturally diverse communities

Note: Technology vendors are not eligible to serve on HITOC but may be considered for workgroups or subcommittees.

The Tribal seat is currently open. Recruitment for this seat is managed through OHA Tribal Affairs and is at the discretion of the Tribes.

Details of service: HITOC members serve terms of up to three years and can be reappointed when their first term ends. Reappointment is at the discretion of the member, the Council Chairs, and the Board.

HITOC meets every two months for 3 hours from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Meetings are held on even months and typically fall on the first Thursday of the month. Most meetings are virtual, and members can join online or via phone. HITOC meets in person approximately once per year with an option to join virtually.

How to Apply: Complete both the Membership Application and the supplemental membership application (aplicación combinada en español). Please email the supplemental or Spanish application to HITOC.INFO@odhsoha.oregon.govThe application is now open and will close 2/14/2024.

Qualified members of state committees can apply to be compensated for committee work. Compensation is taxable. More information can be found on the OHA Committees Website.

For more information and materials from previous meetings, visit the HITOC website.

Everyone has a right to know about and participate in Oregon Health Authority (OHA) Committees. If you need this information in an alternate format (such as Braille, large print, audio, video or other formats) or in another language, or would like to request interpretation service, please contact Laurel Moffat, Laurel.Moffat@oha.oregon.gov.

 

¡El Consejo de Supervisión de Tecnología de la Información de Salud (HITOC) de Oregon está aceptando solicitudes de quienes deseen convertirse en miembros!

La Oficina de TI de Salud e Infraestructura de Análisis tiene el agrado de realizar esta convocatoria para quienes deseen formar parte del Consejo de Supervisión de Tecnología de la Información de Salud (HITOC, por sus siglas en inglés) de Oregon.

Los miembros del HITOC son responsables de establecer estrategias de TI de salud que apoyen los objetivos de equidad en salud, además de la transformación y la mejora del sistema de salud de Oregon. También son responsables de realizar recomendaciones de políticas, evaluar el panorama de la TI de salud y supervisar los programas. El HITOC informa a la Junta de Políticas de Salud de Oregon, quien es la responsable de aprobar a los miembros del consejo.

El HITOC busca a personas para ocupar varios puestos vacantes. Buscamos a candidatos que tengan una sólida experiencia personal y profesional con la TI de salud y su impacto en los habitantes de Oregon. Los candidatos ideales se tratan de personas con el compromiso de eliminar las desigualdades y de garantizar que los esfuerzos de transformación del sistema de salud se apoyen en la TI de salud.

Para garantizar una representación equitativa, y basándonos en las brechas ya conocidas en la representación actual, estamos buscando a diversos representantes de todas las áreas del estado, especialmente:

  • Organizaciones de salud conductual
  • Organizaciones y servicios sociales comunitarios
  • Organizaciones de atención coordinada (Coordinated Care Organizations, CCO, por sus siglas en inglés) y planes de salud
  • Consumidores de servicios de atención médica, incluyendo a las personas con discapacidades y a los defensores de los consumidores
  • Personas con experiencia trabajando y viviendo en cuidados a largo plazo
  • Estudiantes y jóvenes que participan en la TI de salud
  • Representación geográfica, particularmente personas que tengan experiencia en áreas remotas o poco pobladas, como el centro o el este de Oregon
  • Representación de comunidades racial y culturalmente diversas.

Aviso: los proveedores de tecnología no son elegibles para formar parte del HITOC, pero pueden tomarse en cuenta para grupos de trabajo o subcomités.

El puesto para representantes tribales se encuentra vacante. El reclutamiento para este puesto se gestiona a través de Asuntos Tribales de la OHA y queda a discreción de las tribus.

Detalles del servicio: los miembros del HITOC prestan sus servicios por un periodo de hasta tres años y pueden volver a ser nombrados luego de que finalice su primer periodo. La renovación del nombramiento queda a discreción del miembro, de los presidentes del consejo y de la junta.

El HITOC se reúne cada dos meses durante 3 horas, de 12:30 p. m. a 15:30 p. m. Las reuniones se suelen llevar a cabo el primer jueves de los meses pares. La mayoría de las reuniones son virtuales y los miembros pueden unirse en línea o por teléfono. El HITOC se reúne de forma presencial aproximadamente una vez al año, aunque existe la opción de unirse virtualmente.

Cómo solicitar membresía: llene la solicitud de membresía (español). Para completar en inglés, envíe tanto la solicitud de membresía y la solicitud de membresía complementaria. Envíe por correo electrónico la solicitud complementaria o la solicitud en español a HITOC.INFO@odhsoha.oregon.govLas solicitudes se pueden enviar desde este momento hasta el 2/14/2024.

Los miembros calificados de los comités estatales pueden solicitar que se les compense por su labor. Esta compensación está sujeta a impuestos. Para obtener más información, visite el sitio web de los comités de la OHA.

Para obtener más información y materiales de reuniones anteriores, visite el sitio web del HITOC.

Todos tienen derecho a conocer y a participar en los comités de la Oregon Health Authority (OHA, por sus siglas en inglés). Si necesita esta información en un formato alternativo (como Braille, letra grande, audio, video u otros formatos) o en otro idioma, o si desea solicitar el servicio de interpretación, comuníquese con Laurel Moffat: Laurel.Moffat@oha.oregon.gov.​


​The House Bill (HB) 4150 Final Report: Supporting Statewide CIE was submitted to the legislature on January 31, 2023, meeting the required deadline. The Health Information Technology Oversight Council (HITOC) chartered the CIE Workgroup, as required by HB 4150 (2022), to provide recommendations on strategies to accelerate, support, and improve statewide CIE in Oregon. The report reflects the CIE Workgroup's recommendations, perspectives from community-based organization (CBO) interviews and survey responses, and HITOC comment.

Main findings and recommendations from the Report include:

  1. CIE requires sustainable investment in systems change, as well as building trust and relationships to achieve the intended value.
  2. Support for CBOs is paramount, as they are a priority partner and must also be at the table in decision making.
  3. CIE should promote equity and accessibility and be person-centered. Ensuring health equity across CIE efforts necessitates prioritizing culturally and linguistically specific organizations.
  4. Inclusive and neutral statewide governance is needed and must be responsive to CBO and community needs.
  5. Privacy and security of data must be prioritized, as must transparency and accountability about data.

The recommendations were strongly aligned to move statewide CIE efforts forward in support of health equity and improved service coordination. The critical next steps to accomplish this are financial investment for participants, particularly CBOs, and statewide governance.

Find the final report, executive summary, and other information on OHA's CIE website.

The Workgroup met monthly March through November 2022 to develop the report and has concluded meeting. Recommendations will inform HITOC's strategic plan and may inform legislation in Oregon's 2023 session. For questions regarding the report please contact Hope Peskin-Shepherd, CIE Lead Policy Analyst, at Hope.Peskin-Shepherd@dhsoha.state.or.us. ​


View​ October 2021 HIT Programs Update​

View​ the October 2021 OHIT eNewsletter​

View​ August 2021 HIT Programs Update

​View​ the June 2021 HIT Programs Updates

Join us April 29 1:30-3:00pm for a webinar on community information exchange (CIE). We will explore what CIE is, how it may be valuable, and hear about successes and challenges faced. Representatives from AllCare CCO, Project Access Now, Cascade Health Alliance, and Sky Lakes Medical Center will share their experiences using CIE. Q&A will follow.

To find out more visit our CIE webpage >



HITOC member nominations will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The application and background information can be found on our recruitment page here >​ ​

​View​ the April 2021 HIT Programs Update

View the February 2021 HIT Program Updates​

View​ the January 2021 OHIT eNewsletter

On December 10th,  CMS released a proposed rule, building on the CMS Interoperability and Patient Access final rule (CMS-9115-F) that would require certain CMS-regulated payers to improve the electronic exchange of health care data via Application Program Interfaces (APIs) and streamline the prior authorization process to reduce burden on payers, providers, and patients.  This proposed rule would place new requirements on Medicaid and CHIP managed care plans, state Medicaid and CHIP fee-for-service programs, and Qualified Health Plans (QHP) issuers on the Federally-facilitated Exchanges (FFEs).

 

For a summary of the proposed rule see the CMS Fact Sheet. The proposed rule can be found here: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/121020-reducing-provider-and-patient-burden-cms-9123-p.pdf. The comment period closes on January 4, 2021.

 

Highlights of the NPRM include that starting January 1, 2023 payers:

  • Add prior authorization decisions to Patient Access API information sharing requirements
  • Implement a privacy policy attestation process for third-party app developers
  • Implement a Provider Access API for payer-to-provider data sharing
  • Reduce prior authorization burden on providers through the implementation of APIs and other requirements
  • Meet additional Payer-to-Payer requirements, including the use of a FHIR-based API similar to Patient Access
  • Add claims, encounters, and prior authorization decisions to Payer-to-Payer Exchange information sharing requirements
  • Adopt specified implementation guides to support API implementation

The NPRM also includes five Requests for Information (RFIs). CMS is seeking comments on the following:

  • Methods for Enabling Patients and Providers to Control Sharing of Health Information
  • Electronic Exchange of Behavioral Health Information
  • Reducing Burden and Improving Electronic Information Exchange of Documentation and Prior Authorization
  • Reducing the Use of Fax Machines for Health Care Data Exchange
  • Accelerating the Adoption of Standards Related to Social Risk Data​


View​ the December 2020 eNewsletter

View the December 2020 HIT Program Updates​

Oregon community information exchanges (CIEs) are developing across the state, sponsored by Medicaid coordinated care organizations (CCOs), health plans and other organizations. CIE can be used by interested community-based organizations (CBOs), local public health authorities (LPHAs), and Tribes to coordinate wraparound and social services support for COVID-19 isolation and quarantine. Joining a CIE is voluntary and not required under the COVID-19 Grants for Community Based Organizations.

In coordination with internal and external partners, OHA has developed an informational flyer that provides further detail about CIE for COVID supports. We also plan to hold an informational webinar where community stakeholders interested in CIE can learn more, and to gather feedback in the future. We’ll share more information about these events in upcoming newsletters and on our OHA CIE website.

Flyer:


About CIE

CIE is a network of healthcare and human/social service partners using a technology platform with functions such as a shared resource directory, “closed loop” referrals, reporting, social needs screening, and other features to electronically connect people to social services and supports.

Learn more about CIE in Oregon

View​ the ​November 2020 eNewsletter

Federal Interoperability Final Rules Webinar for CCOs/Payers

We’re pleased to announce that OHA’s Office of Health IT is hosting a Federal Interope​rability Final Rules ​Webinar, specifically tailored to CCOs/payers (including Medicare Advantage plans). The webinar will take place on November 5, 2020, from 2 – 4 pm. The ONC and CMS final rules implement interoperability and patient access provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act, requiring the implementation of new policies that will give patients unprecedented safe, secure access to their health data. National health IT subject matter expert, Rim Cothren, will present on the CMS Interoperability and Patient Access final rule payer requirements. In addition, representatives from the Oregon Health Authority who cover Medicaid Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs), Dental Care Organizations (DCOs), and Fee-for-Service will be present to provide information and answer questions.

The webinar will:
  1. Review CMS Interoperability and Patient Access final rule requirements for applicable CMS-regulated payers
  2. Share what OHA is doing in relation to the rules
  3. Discuss what CCOs/payers need to do
  4. Highlight impact to health plan member experience
  5. Explore opportunities for coordination among impacted payers and sharing of best practices
  6. Answer questions
Who should attend? Anyone can attend. This free webinar is intended to orient CCOs/payers (including Medicare Advantage plans) to the CMS Interoperability and Patient Access final rule payer requirements and what OHA is doing.

Send in your questions!

Attendees are encouraged to submit questions they’d like to have answered. We’ll be accepting questions ahead of the webinar, until 5 pm Monday, November 2. You can submit your questions via the webinar registration or send an email directly to Marta Makarushka at Marta.M.Makarushka@dhsoha.state.or.us. The webinar will also include a Q&A period.

Register for the webinar >

If you have questions about the webinar, please reach out to Marta Makarushka at Marta.M.Makarushka@dhsoha.state.or.us.

Everyone has a right to know about and use Oregon Health Authority (OHA) programs and services. OHA provides free help. Some examples of the free help OHA can provide are:

  • Sign language and spoken language interpreters
  • Written materials in other languages
  • Braille
  • Large print
  • Audio and other formats 
If you need help or have questions, please contact Marta Makarushka at (971) 239-9541 or Marta.M.Makarushka@dhsoha.state.or.us at least 48 hours before the meeting. OHA will make every effort to provide services for requests made closer to the meeting.​

​View​ the October 2020 OHIT eNewsletter

​We are excited to announce that OHA’s Office of Health IT is hosting a Federal Interoperability Final Rules Webinar on October 1st from 2:00 – 3:30 pm. The ONC  and CMS final rules implement interoperability and patient access provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act, requiring the implementation of new policies that will give patients unprecedented safe, secure access to their health data. National health IT subject matter expert, Rim Cothren, will present the requirements of both final rules, which have implications for payers, providers, health IT vendors/developers, and health information exchanges/networks. The webinar will review:

  • The individual requirements
  • Upcoming deadlines
  • Federal plans for enforcement
  • Challenges organizations may face in meeting the requirements
Who should attend? Anyone can attend. This free webinar is intended to provide an overview of the final rule requirements for all those affected including payers, providers, health IT vendors/developers, and health information exchanges/networks.

We encourage attendees to bring their questions as there will be a question and answer session following the presentation. An FAQ document and webinar recording will be made available on our website.

Join ZoomGov Meeting
https://www.z​oomgov.com/j/1619039587?pwd=dExBTUtGbzNEbXpGa3FVczFjUHNUZz09​
Toll-free Phone Number: 669-254-5252
Meeting ID: 161 903 9587
Passcode: 146440

If you have questions, please reach out to Marta Makarushka at Marta.M.Makarushka@dhsoha.state.or.us.

Everyone has a right to know about and use Oregon Health Authority (OHA) programs and services. OHA provides free help. Some examples of the free help OHA can provide are:
  • Sign language and spoken language interpreters
  • Written materials in other languages
  • Braille
  • Large print
  • Audio and other formats
If you need help or have questions, please contact Marissa Pantley at 503-881-2749, or OHIT.Info@dhsoha.​state.or.us at least 48 hours before the meeting. OHA will make every effort to provide services for requests made closer to the meeting.


​View ​the September 2020 OHIT eNewsletter

​View​ the August 2020 eNewsletter

View the August 2020 HIT Program Updates ​

View ​the July 2020 OHIT eNewsletter​

The CQMR is live to collect electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) for the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program and CCO incentive measures and to support eCQM reporting to CMS for the CPC+ and MIPS programs. Updated and new training materials and webinars are available on the CQMR Resources​ page. 

View​ the February 2020 OHIT eNewsletter

View​ the ​February 2020 HIT Programs Update

Archive News

​View ​the December 2019 OHIT eNewsletter

​View ​the November 2019 OHIT eNewsletter

View​ the October 2019 OHIT eNewsletter

View ​the ​September 2019 OHIT eNewsletter

​View​ the July and August 2019 OHIT eNewsletter

​View​ the June 2019 OHIT eNewsletter

​View​ the May 2019 OHIT eNewsletter

View ​the April 2019 OHIT eNewsletter

​View the March 2019 OHIT eNewsletter​

​View​ the January and February 2019 OHIT eNewsletter

​The Oregon Health Authority is pleased to announce the launch of the Health Information Exchange (HIE) Onboarding Program. The goal of the program is to facilitate the spread of electronic health information exchange across the state, specifically for Medicaid providers. Funded through a federal 90 percent match opportunity, the HIE Onboarding Program will provide financial support for certain initial costs of onboarding (connecting) priority Medicaid providers to the contracted HIE, Reliance eHealth Collaborative. Priority Medicaid providers identified for this program include behavioral health providers, oral health providers, critical physical health providers and others. Participation in the HIE Onboarding Program is completely voluntary. The contract is expected to run until September 30, 2021.

​View​ the November/December 2018 OHIT eNewsletter

​View​ the October 2018 eNewsletter

From now through November 14th, 2018 we are accepting nominations for HITOC committee members. You can find complete instructions and the application here: HITOC 2018 Call For Nominations and Application

​Office of Health IT September 2018 eNewsletter 

  • Pre​scription Drug Monitoring Program Integration Initiative:Launched!
  • All Oregon CCOs Now Leveraging PreManage for Hospital Event Notifications​
  • New HITOC Workgroups: Network of Networks and Behavioral Health Work Begin
  • HITOC Highlights: Public Input for CCO 2.0 HIT Policy Options
  • The ONC is Seeking Your Feedback
  • Join the ACPCI: Call for Committee Member Nominations
  • Video Highlight: Central City Concern success using PreManage

Read More>

​View​ the September 2018 OHIT eNewsletter

Please join OHA’s Office of Health Information Technology on July 19 from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. for an ad hoc HITOC-sponsored meeting about health information technology (HIT) policy options for CCO 2.0, the next phase for Oregon’s Medicaid Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs).

Oregon’s Health Information Technology Oversight Council (HITOC) wants to hear your thoughts!
 
OHA’s
Office of Health Information Technology will be hosting a series of ad hoc HITOC-sponsored meetings about health information technology (HIT) policy options for CCO 2.0, the next phase for Oregon’s Medicaid Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs).
 
Please see the Public Meetings” tab for meeting dates and times.
 
These meetings are an opportunity for organizations, providers, health care consumers, CCOs, and others across the state to learn about how the HIT policy options for CCOs are expected to improve the state’s coordinated care model and to provide input on those policy options.
 
Oregon’s Health Information Technology Oversight Council (HITOC) wants to hear your thoughts!
 
Please join OHA’s Office of Health Information Technology on June 27 from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. for an ad hoc HITOC-sponsored webinar about health information technology (HIT) policy options for CCO 2.0, the next phase for Oregon’s Medicaid Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs).

This webinar is an opportunity for organizations, providers, health care consumers, CCOs, and others across the state to learn about how the HIT policy options for CCOs are expected to improve the state’s coordinated care model and to provide input on those policy options.
 
 
Phone line:
Phone number: 888-808-6929
Access code: 453-773 (#)
About CCO 2.0
 
The end of the first five-year contracts with CCOs marks an opportunity for the Oregon Health Policy Board to work with stakeholders to improve the services that 1 million Oregonians receive through the Oregon Health Plan. CCOs are community-governed organizations that bring together physical, mental health, addiction medicine, and dental health providers to coordinate care for people on the Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid). Since 2012, Oregon’s coordinated care model has saved taxpayers an estimated $2.2 billion, reduced unnecessary emergency department visits, and improved preventive care for children and adults.
 
The policy options focus on four priority improvement areas identified by Governor Kate Brown:
  • Maintain sustainable cost growth.
  • Increase value-based payments that pay for performance.
  • Focus on social determinants of health and equity.
  • Improve the behavioral health system.
Although HIT is not called out specifically in the Governor’s priority improvement areas, HIT components, such as supporting providers’ electronic health records and ability to exchange health information to coordinate care, are foundational for these improvements to be successful.  Today’s CCOs are supporting HIT components in several ways—OHA’s HIT policy options for CCO 2.0 build on these efforts and increase expectations for CCOs to ensure that the Governor’s priorities can be effectively achieved.
 
OHA will gather public input on the policy options, including the HIT policy options, throughout the summer, and the Oregon Health Policy Board will adopt final recommendations this fall. Coordinated care contracts for 2020-2025 are expected to be awarded in summer 2019.
 
You can learn more about this next phase at the CC0 2.0 webpage.

​View​ the June 2018 OHIT eNewsletter

View​ the ​March 2018 OHIT eNewsletter

​View​ the January 2018 OHIT eNewsletter

​OHA is pleased to announce that Reliance eHealth Collaborative was selected to provide onboarding services for the Health Information Exchange (HIE) Onboarding Program. The HIE Onboarding Program will provide financial support for certain initial costs of connecting (onboarding) priority Medicaid providers to a community-based HIE that provides meaningful HIE opportunities and that plays a vital role for Medicaid in that community. The Program will be funded by 90 percent federal funds and 10 percent state funds.

Read more...

​View​ the November 2017 OHIT eNewsletter

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is seeking qualified candidates to fill vacancies on its Provider Directory Advisory Committee (PDAC) and Provider Directory Subject Matter Expert Workgroups (PD-SME). The groups consist of diverse health care professionals with backgrounds in provider data/directories and represent project stakeholders. Each group plays a unique role in providing OHA expertise and guidance on policy, program, and technical considerations for the design and implementation of Oregon’s Provider Directory. Both groups began meeting in Spring 2017.

This is a two-year commitment. Technology vendors are not eligible to serve on the advisory groups.

If you are interested in helping inform this work, please fill out the combined PDAC and PD-SME application and indicate your interest in serving on one or both advisory groups. Applications must be completed and submitted to ohit.info@dhsoha.state.or.us no later than November 30, 2017.

Additional details on each group and the members' role are outlined in the formal application. For both groups, we need stakeholders who represent the following organizations:
  • Behavioral Health
  • Hospitals (for PD-SME)
  • Health Information Exchanges
  • Dental
  • Clinics and Providers
  • Independent Physician Associations
  • Long-term Care
 
If you are interested in staying connected to the work on the Provider Directory, sign-up for our listserv.
 
Download the combined PDAC and PD-SME application.
 

​Oregon’s HIT efforts are guided by overarching priorities of OHA and the Oregon Health Policy Board (OHPB) within a constantly shifting health care environment. OHPB’s Action Plan for Health, created in 2010 and refreshed in 2017,  sets a clear direction  for advancing health in Oregon, and HIT plays a critical role in several key  initiatives, including expanding the coordinated care model, integrating physical, behavioral and oral health, and moving upstream to address the social determinants of health. HIT is also an important enabler to broader health system transformation efforts, including improving health outcomes, lowering costs, and addressing health inequities across different populations and regions.

The Health Information Technology Oversight Council (HITOC) has completed the update to the Oregon Health Information Technology Strategic Plan. The plan sets the vision and strategic direction to advance the adoption and use of health IT in Oregon. This plan updates the 2014-2017 plan that has guided work to date.
 
Download Oregon’s Strategic Plan for Health Information Technology and Health Information Exchange (2017-2020). Highlights include:
  • Progress in spreading health information exchange through HIE efforts, health care organizations investments, vendor-led networks and national approaches;
  • Planned work to address regional HIT and HIE gaps;
  • New opportunities for public/private partnerships; and
  • Oregon Health Information Technology Program’s work and key results.

​The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is pleased to announce that the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Health Information Exchange (HIE) Onboarding Program, entitled Community-Based Health Information Exchange Onboarding Program (OHA-4330-17), is now posted on the Oregon Procurement Information Network (ORPIN), located at https://orpin.oregon.gov.

 
The RFP (OHA-4330-17) and related attachments can be found within the ORPIN system. If you do not have an ORPIN account, please use this guide to set one up.
 
The RFP closes on December 6, 2017 at 3:00 p.m. (Local Time).
 
NOTE: Do not direct any questions to the staff at OHA's Office of Health IT (OHIT).  All Proposers must follow the RFP instructions regarding the Single Point of Contact, and should address any questions to David Reynolds (DAVID.O.REYNOLDS@dhsoha.state.or.us). Failure to follow any RFP instructions may result in rejection of your Proposal.
 
Click here for additional details. For more information about the HIE Onboarding Program, visit the progam overview page.

​View​ the October 2017 OHIT eNewsletter

The Oregon Health Leadership Council is holding an EDIE (Emergency Department Information Exchange) and PreManage Learning Collaborative on October 5, 2017 in Portland. Register to learn how health care organizations are leveraging these tools to develop processes for high-needs, high-utilizing individuals to reduce hospital emergency room visits and readmissions. Many of Oregon’s coordinated care organizations are already using PreManage to improve care coordination and there are new use cases that include long-term care, community paramedicine and crisis teams.

This is a great opportunity for those currently using EDIE or PreManage to interact with other subscribers of the programs. The event will also provide opportunity for professionals interested in getting started using PreManage to learn about what’s happening in Oregon and get technical assistance and support.

When:  Thursday, October 5 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Where:  DoubleTree – Lloyd Center, 1000 NE Multnomah, Portland, OR 97232
Register today!

View​ the September 2017 OHIT eNewsletter

​In September 2017, the Oregon Health Leadership Council (OHLC) and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) released the Health Information Technology (HIT) “Commons” Business Plan that will guide the creation of a public/private HIT governance partnership for Oregon. Leveraging current efforts, the HIT Commons is intended to help connect existing HIT systems, support statewide solutions, and to guide future investments that support advancing health IT across Oregon.

This business plan is the result of collaborative work among OHLC, OHA and many stakeholders and has been accepted by OHA and the OHLC board. Staff have been directed to take the necessary steps to put a HIT Commons transition governance structure in place and begin this important work going forward.

Starting in 2018, the HIT Commons will assume governance of the Emergency Department Information Exchange (EDIE) along with other priority statewide HIT initiatives, with the express purpose of accelerating and advancing OHA’s vision of an HIT optimized health care delivery system in Oregon. OHA will co-sponsor this work, and will bring significant federal and state matching funding for qualifying initiatives under the HIT Commons. 

Specific opportunities of an effective HIT Commons include:

  • Establishing a neutral governance and decision-making process for investing in HIT efforts
  • Leveraging opportunities for shared funding of efforts with statewide impact
  • Coordinating efforts to enable a network of networks for health information exchange (HIE)
  • Facilitating access to high value data to improve efficiency and quality of care, including an initial focus on funding a statewide HIT Gateway subscription for efficiently connecting Oregon’s providers to the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP), and
  • Supporting core infrastructure needed for care coordination and alternative payment models
To be effective, the HIT Commons must build and maintain a critical mass of health care providers, hospitals, CCOs and insurers in order to gain maximum value. We’ve seen the impact that Oregon can make when we have critical mass, including using EDIE and PreManage to reduce ED utilization for many Oregonians who have been high utilizers of ED services.  The HIT Commons will leverage the experience gained from the OHLC/OHA EDIE governance partnership model initially, with the intent to move to a more formal, independent legal and management structure as experience warrants. This has been referred to as a “crawl, walk, run” strategy to build on what has worked and provide flexibility for future effective execution of statewide health information technology efforts.
 
We look forward to working with Oregon health care stakeholders as we transition to launch the HIT Commons in 2018.  Thank you for your support of this effort.
 
~Greg Van Pelt, President, Oregon Health Leadership Council

~Susan Otter, Director of Health Information Technology, Oregon Health Authority
 

 
 

 

Save the Date!
July 25, 2017

Transforming Behavioral Health Care in Oregon through Information Technology Forum
Best Practices, Challenges and Lessons Learned

Learn how Reliance eHealth Collaborative (formerly Jefferson Health Information Exchange) and the Oregon Health Authority utilized Federal funding to establish Oregon as a national leader in advancing Behavioral Health Information Exchange. The work provides a model for others working to integrate behavioral health information, lessons learned, and best practices for future efforts. Topics include:

  • Overcoming legal and policy challenges
  • Developing and implementing a common consent model
  • Debuting an informed consent consumer education video
  • Using HIT/HIE to support value-based care within behavioral health settings
  • Connecting with other entities such as the Veteran’s Administration and the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program

Hear about the state’s HIT strategies for behavioral health and lessons learned from behavioral and physical health providers about the benefits of information exchange to enhance the patient experience, facilitate care coordination and create a learning health system in which health information and data is foundational to improving treatment approaches.

Who Should Attend? 

  • Leadership, clinicians and information technology professionals at Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment provider organizations;
  • Primary care and emergency providers who need to access mental health and substance use treatment information for their patients;
  • Coordinated Care Organization behavioral health teams and care coordinators; and
  • Legal and Policy personnel who are responsible for managing the privacy and security of patient information under 42 CFR Part 2.

Mark your calendars!
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.   
Salem Convention Center
200 Commercial St SE
Salem, OR 97301

Learn more at at the forum web page. Preview the agenda-at-a-glance.

Support for the Behavioral Health Forum is provided by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, Department of Health and Human Services, Grant 90IX0007/01-00.

 

​Please join us on June 6 at 1:00 p.m. for an informational webinar about the planned Health Information Exchange (HIE) Onboarding Program, which will support new connections between critical Medicaid providers and community-based HIEs. We want to hear your thoughts! This webinar will delve into the details of the program design and will be the final opportunity to provide feedback before the draft procurement instrument for the program is sent to CMS for review. The webinar will assume that participants have some familiarity with health information technology (HIT), HIE, and the Oregon HIT/HIE landscape. Participants will receive written materials in advance and should review the background materials before the webinar if possible. You can also download the matierials​.

Please register at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/659852493826649603​

To learn more about the program, visit the overview page.​

​View​ the May 2017 OHIT eNewsletter

​View​ the March 2017 OHIT eNewsletter

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has selected a vendor for its statewide Provider Directory. The Michigan Health Information Network Shared Services (MiHIN) was selected after a thorough and competitive procurement process, led by OHA’s prime vendor, Harris Corporation.

This milestone could not have been reached without the support of Oregon stakeholders, who contributed to development of the operational requirements for the Provider Directory and the formal request for proposal (RFP). Members of the Provider Directory Advisory Group (PDAG) were invited to participate in vendor product demonstrations and reference calls with vendors’ existing customers. OHA thanks all of the stakeholders who participated in the procurement process and helped to ensure the Provider Directory solution will meet users’ needs and work requirements.
 
The Provider Directory will leverage and match data from existing, trusted data sources to produce quality provider data that can be used to support operational efficiencies, health information exchange, care coordination, and analysis of provider data.  Health care entities will be able to use one trusted, single and complete source of provider data essential to improving system efficiencies and patient care coordination, while helping reduce costs for Oregonians.  MiHIN is successfully providing similar services in Michigan and New Jersey, and that experience is expected to contribute to the successful implementation of the Provider Directory. 
 
MiHIN has also been selected as the vendor for the Clinical Quality Metrics Registry which is another project sponsored by the Oregon Health Authority.  Initially, the CQMR will support data collection for two programs: (1) the EHR-based clinical quality measures (CQMs) that are a subset of the CCO incentive measures and (2) CQMs from eligible professionals in the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program. Over time, depending on stakeholder needs and readiness, the CQMR is expected to support a “report once” strategy where providers may leverage reporting to the CQMR to meet requirements for multiple reporting programs. Learn more about the CQMR here.
 
After completing rigorous state and federal contract review processes, OHA expects to execute a contract in Spring 2017 to implement the MiHIN Provider Directory solution for Oregon.  The Provider Directory solution is expected to go live in 2018. Background on the Oregon Provider Directory can be found here.
 
Prime vendor – Harris Corporation
In 2015, the Oregon Health Authority contracted with Harris Corporation to serve as its prime contractor and systems integrator (SI) for the Oregon Health Information Technology Program’s implementation projects. Under the contract, Harris is responsible for overseeing the implementation of three key projects, the Common Credentialing solution, Provider Directory and Clinical Quality Metrics Registry. Upon completion, these interrelated projects will provide crucial building blocks for statewide HIT services that support care coordination, quality improvement, analytics, and new models of care and payment in Oregon.
 
Harris has experience with the state’s healthcare transformation efforts and has successfully partnered with OHA since 2011 to manage and deliver initial components of the state’s health information exchange strategy. Harris works under the direction and approval of OHA’s Office of Health IT.
 
About MiHIN
MiHIN is a Michigan non-profit entity and has implemented successful provider directories in Michigan and New Jersey.  Built in 2012, MiHIN’s statewide provider directory is developed on a highly scalable, secure, and flexible environment that can support an extensive number of providers, provider types, provider demographics, flexible hierarchies and relationships for providers and organizations, and electronic addresses for receiving protected health information (PHI).  MiHIN is also highly involved in national Provider Directory-related organizations and efforts such as DirectTrust, the ONC’s Interoperability Roadmap and Strategic Implementation Guide for Provider Directory, and the Argonaut FHIR Working Group to ensure MiHIN is current with national trends and emerging standards.  For more information please visit www.mihin.org.
 

View the December 2016 OHIT eNewsletter

The Oregon Health Authority’s (OHA) Office of Health Information Technology has posted a Request for Information (RFI) OHA-1038-16 (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act) on the state's procurement and contracting site, ORPIN.

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit information from organizations operating an active health information exchange (HIE) in Oregon. This RFI is for information gathering purposes in order to assist with criteria which may be used in possible future procurements related to the HIE Onboarding Program (HOP). The HOP will help Medicaid providers meet multiple Meaningful Use objectives and promote the exchange of health care information among Oregon providers.

This program relates to the guidance provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in the State Medicaid Director letter (16-003) on February 29, 2016.

The RFI OHA-1038-16  and related tables can be found within the ORPIN system. If you do not have an ORPIN account, please use this guide to set one upThe RFI will close on December 30, 2016 at 12:00 p.m. (PST).

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is seeking qualified candidates to join its new Provider Directory Advisory Committee (PDAC) and Provider Directory Subject Matter Expert Workgroups (PD-SME). The groups will consist of diverse health care professionals with backgrounds in provider data/directories and represent project stakeholders. Each group will play a unique role in providing OHA expertise and guidance on policy, program, and technical considerations for the design and implementation of Oregon’s Provider Directory. These groups will build on the work of the Provider Directory Advisory group that provided OHA guidance on directory services and technical considerations.

This is a two-year commitment. The Provider Directory is expected to be implemented in 2018. Technology vendors are not eligible to serve on the advisory groups.
 
Interested applicants can fill out the combined PDAC and PD-SME application and outline your interest in serving on one of the two advisory groups Applications must be completed and submitted to ohit.info@dhsoha.state.or.us no later than December 16, 2016.
 
Additional details on each group and the members' role are outlined in the formal application. For both groups, we need stakeholders who represent the following organizations:
  • Hospitals
  • Health Information Exchanges
  • Health Plans
  • CCOs
  • Long term care
  • Clinics and providers
  • Behavioral Health
  • Dental
  • Independent Physician Association
  • Healthcare Research
Download the combined PDAC and PD-SME application: 2016 Nominations Form.docx2016 Nominations Form.docx
 
You can learn more about the Provider Directory here.
The Oregon Health Authority is currently seeking nominations for the Health Information Technology Oversight Council (HITOC), the policy, strategy and oversight body for health IT in Oregon. HITOC reports to the Oregon Health Policy Board and consists of broad representation of individuals and organizations that are impacted by the Oregon Health Information Technology Program.
 
We are looking for motivated leaders to help us tackle important issues. Patients are increasingly using access to health information to participate and engage in their own care. Meanwhile, the field of health IT is evolving rapidly, creating challenges for Oregon health care entities that must make real-world business decisions and investments around health IT. In addition, the Oregon Health Authority is embarking on the next phase of coordinated care delivery, with new opportunities and new challenges to address. HITOC provides a forum to define strategies, remove policy barriers, provide transparency and accountability, and measure progress toward achieving “health IT-optimized health care.”
 
OHA is seeking nominations for individuals that represent one or more of the following stakeholder groups:  
  • Consumer/patient advocacy;
  • Long-term services and supports;
  • Behavioral or mental health;
  • Health information exchange;
  • Rural/Frontier communities
At this time, we are particularly interested in representatives from outside the Portland area. Download the application: 2016 HITOC Call for Nominations.docx2016 HITOC Call for Nominations.docx
 
Priority will be given to nominations received by November 15th. Please send the completed nomination form to Sean Carey, HITOC Lead Analyst: sean.m.carey@dhsoha.​state.or.us.
The Oregon Health Authority’s (OHA) Office of Health Information Technology submitted its first annual report on the Oregon Health Information Technology Program to the Oregon Legislature in August. The 2015-2016 report provides an overview of the state of health information technology (HIT) in Oregon, OHA's current HIT programs, grant funded initiatives, and policy work.
 
In the 2015 general session, the legislature passed House Bill 2294, advancing the state’s HIT efforts, by establishing the Oregon Health Information Technology Program within OHA. The program encompasses work that was already in place or underway within OHA’s Office of Health IT. The bill also provided OHA the authority to continue this work to serve all Oregonians, not just those covered by Medicaid or other OHA programs.
 
Per House Bill 2294, the Oregon Health Authority must submit an annual report to the Oregon Legislature on the status of the program. This is the agency's first report since the passage of the 2015 legislation.
 
Report highlights include:
  • 74 percent of Oregon physicians are using certified electronic health records and meeting federal meaningful use requirements
  • To date, more than $419 million in federal incentive payments have been made to all Oregon hospitals and more than 7,400 Oregon providers, to support their adoption and meaningful use of electronic health records
  • All eligible Oregon hospitals are using the Emergency Department Information Exchange (EDIE), and have made their emergency department and inpatient data available
  • Adoption of PreManage is spreading across the state – allowing Oregon’s CCOs, commercial health plans, and clinics to access real-time hospital event data from EDIE for their members or patients, and better coordinate their follow-up care
  • OHA was awarded significant federal grant funding, which is supporting work to share behavioral health information across providers through a pilot with Jefferson HIE in Southern Oregon and the Columbia Gorge regions

Download a full version of the report to learn more about the state's HIT programs and initiatives.

 

2016 is the last year to begin participation in the Medicaid Electronic Health Records EHR Program. Eligible providers who have adopted, implemented or updated (AIU) to a 2014 or 2015-certified EHR have until March 31, 2017 to attest for first year AIU. Learn more here.

The Oregon Health Authority is in the planning phase for a new Health Information Exchange (HIE) Onboarding Program. The program will help accelerate the onboarding of Medicaid providers and clinics to existing and emerging health information exchanges.

In February, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT released a State Medicaid Director letter updating the guidance for how states can use HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act) funds for advancing health information exchange.

Under the new guidance, federal funding is available at the 90 percent matching rate for activities which promote health information exchange for any Medicaid provider (including behavioral health, long term care, corrections, etc.), so long as those activities enable eligible providers meet meaningful use requirements. States are responsible for covering the remaining 10 percent.

OHA’s Office of Health IT will be working with stakeholders and partners to define Oregon’s efforts. Once finalized, Oregon must submit its proposal for the HIE Onboarding Program to CMS for review and approval. Once approved by CMS, OHA will formally announce the program, including eligibility, criteria, application process, and timelines. OHA anticipates funding will be available in 2018. We appreciate your interest and encourage you to continue to check our website for more details in the coming weeks.

Read the full State Medicaid Director’s letter.

Get the latest updates on all the state’s HIT efforts. Join our email list.

 

The newest issue of the Office of Health Information Technology's newsletter is available.

In this issue:
  • Trillium Family Service's explores telehealth to provide psychiatric services to youth transitioning from residential treatment.
  • The Health Information Technology Oversight Council resets for success.
  • Jefferson Health Information Exchange integrates behavioral health information exchange.
  • Take the Interoperability Pledge.
  • Upcoming public meetings.
Download the July 2016 newsletter:  OHA 2039 exchange-newsletter-July-2016.pdfOHA 2039 exchange-newsletter-July-2016.pdf.
 
Please send us your feedback and story ideas to ohit.info@dhsoha.state.or.us. Thank you for your continued support of Oregon's Health Information Technology Program.

The Oregon Medicaid Meaningful Use Technical Assistance Program (OMMUTAP) is offering two webinars for interested providers to learn more about Meaningful Use and attesting for the Medicaid Electronic Health Records Incentive Program.

 
Meaningful Use for Dentists
This is an overview of how Meaningful Use applies to dental professionals, including 2016 objectives and clinical quality metrics, attestation and additional resources.
  • Audience: Eligible Dental Providers
  • Format: One-hour interactive, web-based training
  • Upcoming Webinars:
    • Tuesday, October 18, 2016 from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. – Register Here
    • Thursday, October 20, 2016 from 8:00 -9:00 a.m. – Register Here
 
Meaningful Use for Eligible Professional (EP) Types
This is an overview of how Meaningful Use applies to different types of eligible professionals, including 2016 objectives and clinical quality metrics, attestation, and additional resources.
  • Audience: Eligible Professionals
  • Format: One-hour interactive, web-based training
  • Upcoming Webinars:
    • Monday, October 17, 2016 from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. – Register Here
    • Wednesday, October 19, 2016 from 3:00 -4:00 p.m. – Register Here
 
For questions about either session, please email ommutap@ochin.org.
 
Click here to learn more about OMMUTAP.
 

View​ the September 2016 OHIT eNewsletter

Join the Oregon Health Leadership Council’s EDIE (Emergency Department Information Exchange) and PreManage Learning Collaborative to learn how health care organizations are using these tools to improve care coordination and reduce hospital emergency room visits.

Many of Oregon’s coordinated care organizations are already using PreManage to improve care coordination. This is a great opportunity for those currently using EDIE or PreManage to interact with other subscribers of the programs. The interactive session will also provide opportunity for professionals interested in using PreManage to learn about what’s happening in Oregon.

When:  Friday, September 23, 2016 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Where:  Ambridge Event Center - 1333 NE Martin Luther King Blvd., Portland, OR 97232
Register: www.eventbrite.com/e/ediepremanage-learning-collaborative-tickets-26624405313

Learning collaborative objectives:
  • Increase knowledge of effective strategies to manage ED high utilization
  • Learn about how communities are adopting EDIE/PreManage tools as a resource to align efforts and promote cross-organizational care coordination
  • Understand how to effectively use EDIE/PreManage tools to enhance care management
  • Provide a forum for peer networking to share workflows and innovative practices
More about EDIE and PreManage
EDIE provides emergency departments with real-time notifications and key care summaries for patients who visit the emergency department frequently, with the goal of reducing avoidable hospital utilization and improving health outcomes. Real-time notifications allow clinicians to identify patients who visit the emergency room often and those with complex care needs, which helps them to direct patients to outpatient and other care settings when appropriate.
 
PreManage complements EDIE, allowing hospital event data to be pushed to health care organizations outside the hospital setting in real-time. Notifications inform providers, health plans, coordinated care organizations and health systems of emergency department or inpatient admission, discharge and transfer in any hospital in Oregon. Timely notifications improve follow-up and care coordination during and after serious health care events. PreManage provides the tool to connect and share notifications directly with those responsible for the care of the patient.
 

The newest issue of the Office of Health Information Technology's newsletter is available.

In this issue:
  • Trillium Family Services explores telehealth to provide psychiatric services to youth transitioning from residential treatment.
  • The Health Information Technology Oversight Council resets for success.
  • Jefferson Health Information Exchange integrates behavioral health information exchange.
  • Take the Interoperability Pledge.
  • Upcoming public meetings.
Download the July 2016 newsletter:  OHA 2039 exchange-newsletter-July-2016.pdfOHA 2039 exchange-newsletter-July-2016.pdf.
 

Please send us your feedback and story ideas to ohit.info@dhsoha.state.or.us. Thank you for your continued support of Oregon's Health Information Technology Program.

​View the July 2016 Exchange Newsletter

The Office of Health Information Technology contracted with the Telehealth Alliance of Oregon (TAO) to evaluate telehealth services available in Oregon. Telehealth allows health care service providers to expand their geographic reach and increase capacity. These technologies are growing and have the potential to extend  services to more people and in new ways, particularly in Oregon’s rural areas.

The project with TAO includes telehealth services inventory of available providers and services in Oregon that is accessible through a searchable Web portal; an assessment of the current status of telehealth in Oregon; and a review of state and national laws and policies for telehealth. The law and policy review resources and the Telehealth Inventory Portal are now available via the TAO website at www.ortelehealth.org.

OHA encourages CCOs, health plans, health care systems and organizations, and their providers to visit the Web portal and find information about telehealth services currently provided in Oregon. This information is available to anyone who is looking for telehealth services or is interested in offering services in areas where access to direct services is limited.

Telehealth service providers can contact Cathy Britain through TAO to discuss the process for entering information at: http://www.ortelehealth.org/content/contact-us.
 
If you have questions, contact Kristin Bork in the Office of Health Information Technology at Kristin.m.bork@dhsoha.state.or.us. These projects are supported by the agency’s State Innovation Model grant.

After attempting to contact a member for weeks, FamilyCare Health service coordinator Jeremy Koehler was notified that the member was in the emergency department. Jeremy immediately hit the road and headed to the hospital.

As it turns out, Ron* had been to the ER many times. At the height of his visits, Ron had been to the ED 23 times in one month.

His visits were spread across seven different hospitals in the Portland area and he arrived at varying times of the day. He always had a new injury or symptom, and had been successful at accessing narcotics. His visits were short and he was never admitted into the hospital. He also never followed up with primary care.

Jeremy received this notice about Ron because FamilyCare Health had recently launched a PreManage subscription. PreManage is a companion service to the Emergency Department Information Exchange (EDIE) Utility that is used by all 59 of Oregon’s hospitals. The EDIE Utility is led by the Oregon Health Leadership Council and co-sponsored by the Oregon Health Authority.

EDIE and PreManage provide real-time hospital notifications and key care summaries for patients who visit the ER frequently. The goals of these notifications are to reduce avoidable hospital use and improve health outcomes. Whereas EDIE provides notice to professionals within the hospital system, PreManage takes
that information and pushes it to health care organizations outside the hospital system in real-time.

Organizations like FamilyCare Health, where Jeremy was able to immediately see the notification and take action to try to get Ron to the right setting for appropriate care. Having let the ER know he was on his way, Jeremy was met by the hospital’s social worker. Together they got Ron to agree to stay a little longer and talk with them.

“I immediately realized he had some developmental disabilities,” says Jeremy. “And there were numerous social determinants that were affecting his health.” Ron explained he was homeless, living in his truck, and although he had a phone, it wasn’t kept charged. They also learned that Ron traveled with a female partner. She had arrived with him at the ER that day.

“As soon as we got her to step away, Ron really opened up to us,” says Jeremy. “He told us his travel companion had been coaching him on injuries and that she had, on occasion, inflicted his injury. She also had arranged for her dad to become the payee on Ron’s disability checks.”

Jeremy immediately contacted Adult Protective Services (APS). Ron has since been interviewed and an APS investigator is involved in his case.

Since that first visit, FamilyCare Health has worked with Ron to create a long-term care plan and connect him with primary care. “We’ve outreached to the emergency departments to educate them on his history, and to discourage narcotics prescriptions,” says Jeremy. FamilyCare Health has also developed and uploaded an EDIE care plan so if Ron does arrive at the ER, clinicians have immediate access to his care plan and treatment history.

FamilyCare Health is one of the nine coordinated care organizations that are subscribing to PreManage and doing what they need to do to help clients improve their health and stay out of the emergency room. Whether that’s making primary care appointments, finding child care, or showing up at the ER.
 
For Ron, that one real-time alert and Jeremy’s quick response has definitely changed his outcomes.
 
Today, Ron is making efforts to get and take his medications. His diabetes and blood pressure are under control and being managed. He has been back to the ER, but only three times in his highest month. He still has challenges ahead, but the resources for helping him face them are there. Recently, Jeremy arranged for Ron to get a screening with County Development Disabilities Program. Ron is now in the process of getting assigned a case manager and soon he will be moving into temporary/transitional housing.
 
“I talk with him a few times a week,” Jeremy says. “In fact he just called me. We’re getting him the right care in the right setting so he is better able to manage himself.”
 
Learn more about EDIE and PreManage at www.orhealthleadershipcouncil.org/
 

​The Medicaid EHR Incentive Program team will be hosting several webinars to help organizations prepare for Program Year 2015. Below is a summary and links to the website for registering.

Attestation Requirement Overview for Program Year 2015
This webinar will cover Eligible Professional documentation submission requirements for Program Year 2015, with details on ensuring a successful attestation submission.
  • Tuesday, Apr 26, 2016 12:00 - 1:00 PM
  • Tuesday, May 3, 2016 12:00 - 1:00 PM PDT
 
Eligible Provider Meaningful Use Overview
This session will provide Eligible Professionals guidance about the requirements to attest for Meaningful Use under the 2015 Modified Stage 2 final rule. It will also include a presentation from Oregon Public Health staff.
  • Thursday, May 5, 2016  12:00 - 1:00 PM
 Visit the webinar page for registration information

Save the Date: May 18
HIT Documentary - No Matter Where: The Quest to Use Technology to Connect Healthcare

Oregon panel discussion to follow screening
5:00 pm reception, film screens at 6:00 pm

Hosted by: Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology at Oregon Health & Science University

 

The Film
You can’t always assume that doctors have access to your medical information when and where it is needed. The "No Matter Where" documentary brings alive the concept of health information exchange (HIE) and its importance of effective and safe healthcare. This 56-minute documentary follows the journey of pioneers who have shepherded us into this era and provides a glimpse into the lives of patients, healthcare providers and advocates and adversaries from the public and private sectors. Follow a team of crusaders –doctors, nurses, widows, parents and spouses –working to fix this problem.

The Panel
Immediately following the screening please join HIT leaders for a lively discussion, Health Information Exchange in Oregon: Accomplishments and Challenges. This panel will discuss health information exchange in Oregon, including efforts of the state, the Jefferson Health Information Exchange in southern Oregon, and the use of Epic Care Everywhere in the Portland area. Panelists:
Susan Otter, Director of Health Information Technology, Oregon Health Authority
Gina Bianco, Executive Director, Jefferson Health Information Exchange
Thomas Yackel, Chief Clinical Integration Officer, OHSU Partners  

Discussant: Kevin Johnson, Vanderbilt University 
Moderator: William Hersh, OHSU 


The Filmmaker: Dr. Kevin B. Johnson
Kevin B. Johnson, MD, MS is Assistant Vice Chancellor for Health Technology, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor and Chair of Biomedical Informatics and Professor of Pediatrics. Kevin is a long-time advocate in helping the nation's healthcare system better utilize patient data for treatment, as well as for discovery and improving the system. He brings to this foray into the work of filmmaking his more than 30 years of experience in music, theatre and photography –all ways to communicate important issues, feelings and opinions to a wide audience.

View​ the April 2016 OHIT eNewsletter 

The ONC recently unveiled the ONC​ Tech Lab. It represents the way in which ONC will organize and approach its standards and technology work. According to the ONC, this organizing structure focuses on what ONC can uniquely contribute to improve existing standards and build consensus around those that best serve specific interoperability needs.
Specifically, the ONC Tech Lab will be organized around and focus on the following four areas: 

  • Standards Coordination: Work will focus on interactions with standards development organizations (SDOs) and industry stakeholders to identify standards gaps and where more clarity or reduced optionality is needed.
  • Testing and Utilities: Includes collaborative work on testing tools, including those in support of the ONC Health IT Certification Program and the Standards Implementation & Testing Environment, utilities for health IT developers and providers to test their health IT functionality in the field, and coordination with industry sector stakeholders on the development of additional testing resources and testing events.
  • Pilots: Support implementation pilots for standards (especially those identified in the Interoperability Standards Advisory) and look to stimulate cooperation and creativity among the active pilot community that exists nationwide in a way that brings greater visibility to all of the inspiring interoperability projects taking place.
  • Innovation: Continuing work with start-up communities, on administering challenge contests, and on forward looking standards and technology activities that can bring a glimpse of the future to the present.

    ONC announced the Connecting and Accelerating a FHIR (Fast Health Interoperability Resources) App Ecosystem, a strategy calling innovators to develop market-ready software applications (apps) for consumers and healthcare providers in an effort to improve the health and care of the country. There are two app challenges and a competitive funding opportunity with awards totaling $625,000.

Learn more from Steve Posnack, ONC's Director of the Office of Standards and Technology, on the Hea​lthITBuzz.

OHA encourages all stakeholders to review new rules proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) related to behavioral health information sharing and patient privacy. Public comments are being solicited through April 11 - submit comments here. Your input is essential to help ensure that Oregon's interests and concerns are addressed as we work to more fully integrate behavioral health services and improve care coordination for this population. The Oregon Health Authority will also be submitting its own public comments in response to the proposed rule.
 
More on the Proposed Rule
HHS’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is proposing revisions to the Confidentiality of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Patient Records regulations, 42 CRF Part 2. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is titled Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records.
 
Part 2 has not seen substantial revisions since 1987. According to SAMHSA, the proposed regulations aim to modernize and better facilitate health information sharing within new health care models while addressing the legitimate privacy concerns of patients being treated for substance use and abuse.

Significant proposed changes include:

  • Revised definitions that clarify which providers are considered a "Part 2 program," and modify Qualified Service Organization to include population health management as an example service;

  • Allowance for a general designation in patient consent forms in certain circumstances (such as to a health information exchange), including a right for patients to request a List of Disclosures;

  • Changes to disclosure of Part 2 information for research purposes (and data linkages to other data sets including federal data repositories); and

  • Permitting audits or evaluations of CMS-regulated organizations under certain conditions.

Public comments must be received by HHS no later than 5 p.m. on April 11, 2016.

​View​ the January 2016 Engage Newsletter

Happy New Year! We are excited to introduce you to the Office of Health Information Technology’s engage newsletter. In the January 2016 edition, you can find information on:

  • The Emergency Department Information Exchange September Learning Collaborative
  • Meaningful Use 2015 Final Rules
  • Behavioral Health Information Sharing
  • PreManage in Action
  • Upcoming Public Meetings

Read it here.

Please send us your feedback and story ideas to ohit.info@dhsoha.state.or.us. Thank you for your continued support of Oregon's Health Information Technology Program.

​The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is requesting applications and nominations for its Common Credentialing and Provider Directory Advisory Groups. Members for each of these groups represent project stakeholders and provide advice and guidance on policy, program, and technical considerations for the design and implementation of the project.

The Common Credentialing and Provider Directory projects are part of OHA’s Office of Health IT’s broader portfolio of work to support health system transformation though HIT optimized care. Specifically, OHA is seeking a:

  • Hospital representative, health plan representative, and an Independent Physician Association (IPA) representative for the Common Credentialing Advisory Group (CCAG); and
  • Provider representative for the Provider Director Advisory Group (PDAG).
  
 
 
The application deadline has been extended to January 5, 2016.
Applications must be submitted to ohit.info@dhsoha.state.or.us no later than January 5, 2016. The combined application allows potential applicants to outline their interest in becoming an official representative of one of the two advisory groups.
 
Through 2016, the PDAG will meet for three hours each month and may extend these meetings into 2017. PDAG meetings generally alternate between Portland and Wilsonville locations. The CCAG is on ongoing advisory group that currently meets for two hours bimonthly, but may increase in frequency during 2016 to accommodate an increased need to work through programmatic details during final implementation stages. CCAG meetings alternate between Portland and Salem locations.
 
Thank you for your interested in advancing HIT in Oregon.
 
 
Common Credentialing Advisory Group Background
With the passage of Senate Bill (SB) 604 (2013), OHA is required to establish a program and database for the purpose of providing credentialing organizations access to information necessary to credential health care practitioners in the State. OHA is seeking a hospital, health plan, and IPA representative for the CCAG.
 
The CCAG provides consultation to OHA on the implementation of SB 604 which will include a common credentialing solution. Health care practitioners must enter their credentialing data into the solution that will then be used by credentialing organizations for credentialing purposes. The CCAG is responsible for advising OHA on credentialing application and submittal requirements, the process by which practitioner and credentialing organizations may access the system, and the imposition of fees. This includes standards for the process of verifying credentialing information.
 
Additional information about the CCAG is available on the OHA’s website at /OHA/HPA/OHIT-OCCP/Pages/index.aspx​
 
Questions regarding the CCAG can be directed to Melissa Isavoran with the OHA’s Office for Health Information Technology at melissa.isavoran@dhsoha.state.or.us or by phone at (503) 559-7886.
 
Provider Directory Advisory Group Background
A statewide provider directory is a source of accurate healthcare practitioner and practice setting information that can be accessed by health care entities, such as providers, hospitals, health plans, coordinated care organizations (CCOs), researchers and state staff. The provider directory will leverage data from existing, authoritative data sources, such as Common Credentialing and will offer a rich source of provider information that can be shared across care settings. It will centralize data where needed, and allow for the federation of existing provider directories.
 

Health care organizations can use information from the provider directory to support:

  • Operations and oversight: As an accurate single source of key provider information such as contact information, provider affiliations to practice settings demographics, licensing data, etc.
  • Health information exchange: Find Health Information Exchange addresses and provider information outside a clinic, CCO or designated system facilitating clinical data to be sent to the correct recipient securely and electronically.
  • Analytics and quality reporting: Access historical provider affiliations and other authoritative data for use in generating outcome data, metrics and research.
PDAG provides the Oregon Health Authority subject matter guidance on the development of the statewide provider directory. The PDAG is comprised of external stakeholders representing a wide range of roles and affiliations within the health information technology arena. OHA is seeking a representative from the provider community who can participate and engage in discussions regarding provider directory operations, technical, policy, and governance needs.  
 
Additional information about the PDAG is available on the OHA’s website at /oha/OHIT/Pages/Provider-Directory-Advisory.aspx.
 
Questions regarding the PDAG can be directed to Karen Hale with the OHA’s Office for Health Information Technology at karen.hale@dhsoha.state.or.us or by phone at (503) 602-3252.

 
 

Oregon is taking a big step forward in expanding interoperable health information technology in local communities. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) awarded the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and program collaborator, Jefferson Health Information Exchange (JHIE), a $1.6 million grant. The federal grant aims to advance the adoption and expansion of health information technology infrastructure and interoperability.

“This is a unique opportunity to bring federal funds to our state and move community health information exchange efforts forward in support of OHA’s commitment to health system transformation and integration of behavioral health,” said Susan Otter, OHA’s Director of Health Information Technology.

Oregon is one of 12 states selected in July to receive funding under the ONC’s “Advance Interoperable Health Information Technology Services to Support Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement program.”

OHA submitted its proposal in partnership with the Jefferson Health Information Technology Exchange (JHIE). It focused on addressing barriers to information sharing and care coordination across care settings, as well as expanding current efforts by JHIE to integrate behavioral and physical health data for a more complete HIE.
Under the plan, OHA will work with JHIE to accomplish key milestones: 
  • Adoption – increase adoption of HIE services among target populations (behavioral health, primary care, emergency, critical access hospital and social service providers) and provide technical assistance to promote meaningful use of data exchange tools;
  • Exchange – overcome the legal and consent management barriers that prevent the exchange of protected health information and the exchange of health and social services data across patient encounter settings to promote better care coordination and care quality; and
  • Interoperability –connect with: federal agencies, such as the Veteran’s Administration; statewide hospital notifications, and electronic health records, to enhance data exchange and ensure users are fully integrating this data into their own technologies and patient care workflows.
“This funding opportunity provides additional resources to advance and broaden JHIE’s reach and capabilities,” said Richard Bodager, JHIE’s Board Chair.  “We look forward to working with OHA in support of Oregon’s vision and commitment to expand access to and inform coordination of care by integrating patient information across the various care settings.”

JHIE efforts will focus on three areas: expanding the breadth and depth of data available for query-based exchange; growing the number of users who fully incorporate JHIE into their workflow; and continuously improving and adding services and tools that give providers the information they need in the most efficient and secure method of access, resulting in better quality care for Oregonians.

JHIE currently serves Southern Oregon and the Columbia Gorge region. JHIE provides robust, sustainable and scalable HIE services to providers, hospitals and coordinated care organizations.

​Oregon’s 16 coordinated care organizations (CCOs) are advancing their health information technology (HIT) efforts to help improve care coordination, communicate more effectively across care settings, and help reduce costs.

The Oregon Health Authority’s Office of Health Information Technology (OHIT) recently completed a report summarizing the HIT initiatives underway at each of the 16 CCOs. During the summer and fall of 2014, OHIT staff conducted on-site meetings with each CCO to learn more about their HIT goals, initiatives, and challenges. OHIT summarized the information across the 16 profiles into the Oregon Coordinated Care Organizations’ Health Information Technology Efforts summary report, released June 30, 2015.
 
The report shows that all 16 CCOs are investing in HIT to facilitate healthcare transformation in their community. Most CCOs are pursuing or implementing health information exchange (HIE) and/or care coordination tools, as well as population management and/or data analytics tools. However, CCOs differ with respect to the set of HIT tools selected.
 
CCOs reported early successes in achieving goals such as:
• increased information exchange across providers to support care coordination;
• making new data available to providers to assist with identifying patients most in need of support/services and to help providers target their care appropriately; and
• improved CCO population management and quality improvement activities, through better use of available claims data, while pursuing access to and use of clinical data.
 
CCOs are also building upon their early implementation efforts and pursuing additional and/or improved HIT tools and strategies including:
• connecting providers to HIT and HIE through integration with their electronic health records (EHR) workflows;
• moving from administrative or claims-based case management and analytics to incorporating and extracting clinical data from provider’s EHRs;
• incorporating behavioral health, long-term care, and social services information; and
• investing in new tools for patient engagement and telehealth services.
 
To learn more about CCOs’ early HIT successes, as well as how CCOs are utilizing data in new ways, download the executive summary or the full summary report OHIT Resources section.

OCHIN has selected CareAccord as its Health Information Service Provider (HISP) to enable Direct secure messaging for its community of more than 9,000 physicians and associates. OCHIN, a nation nonprofit health care innovation center, selected CareAccord as its partner provider after a thorough evaluation of technology vendors.

There are 36 OCHIN member organizations in Oregon, including Federally Qualified Health Centers and safety net clinics.

As a result of this partnership, OCHIN organizations will be able to securely exchange patient information, allowing them to attest to federal meaningful use requirements and qualify for incentives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
 
Read the full press release on OCHI​N's website.
 
Learn more about CareAccord and Direct secure messaging for your organization at www.careacc​ord.org

The Office of Health IT (OHIT) is pleased to announce that Governor Kate Brown signed House Bill 2294 into law on June 4, marking a new era for health information technology in Oregon.

 
OHIT extends a big thank you to our partners, stakeholders, the Health Information Technology Oversight Council and Oregon Health Authority’s leadership team for their commitment and support in bringing this bill forward.
 
House Bill 2294 advances the state’s health information technology (HIT) efforts, by establishing the Oregon Health Information Technology Program within the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). The program will encompass work already in place or underway within OHA’s Office of Health Information Technology. The bill also provides OHA the authority to continue this work to serve all Oregonians, not just those covered by Medicaid or other OHA programs.
 
HB 2294:
  • Expands the reach of OHA’s health IT services through the Oregon HIT Program, allowing the agency to offer services beyond Medicaid, to the private sector. Service participation will be voluntary and OHA may charge user fees for such services to cover costs and ensure sustainability.
  • Provides OHA greater flexibility in working with stakeholders and partners. It gives OHA the opportunity to enter into partnerships or collaboratives when other entities in Oregon are establishing statewide HIT infrastructure tools. An example of this is the Emergency Department Information Exchange utility (EDIE), a statewide hospital notification system developed by the Oregon Health Leadership Council in partnership with OHA.
  • Updates the original 2009 HIT legislation (HB 2009) by moving the Health Information Technology Oversight Council (HITOC) under the Oregon Health Policy Board to ensure statewide HIT efforts align and support health system transformation. The Oregon Health Policy Board will be responsible for appointing members to HITOC.
 
Together, the Oregon Health Information Technology Program and HITOC can ensure that our stakeholders have:
  • the right technology tools, guidance, and information to support their efforts,
  • and a forum for supporting and promoting the effective use of health information technology for the good of all Oregonians.
 
The long anticipated bill had broad support from across the state. Greg Van Pelt, president of the Oregon Health Leadership Council, and Zeke Smith, chair of the Oregon Health Policy Board, testified in support of the bill. Representatives from Kaiser Permanente and Providence Health System also testified in support of the bill. Written testimony supporting the bill was provided from across sectors and interests, including coordinated care organizations, the Oregon Medical Association and the Oregon Association of Hospitals and
Health Systems, as well as the Office of Rural Health, the Association of Oregon
Community Mental Health Programs, the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon, We Can Do Better, and others.
 
HB2294 received strong bipartisan support from the legislature, passing the Senate by a vote of 28-2, and the House by vote of 57-0.
 
You can read the final legislation on the Oregon State Legislature’s website.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Oregon healthcare organizations apply today - Applications due July 17

CareAccord is seeking to pilot with Oregon healthcare organizations to enable trusted exchange of Direct secure messaging from a 2014-certified EHR.  EHRs that are Direct-enabled are interoperable across organizational and geographical boundaries, improving care coordination among care teams and helping simplify workflows (reduce paper processes, integrate messaging).  Many Oregon providers need to use Direct secure messaging from their EHR to electronically send patient care summaries for transitions of care, a requirement for one of the Meaningful Use (MU) Stage 2 measures.

If you are interested in participating in the piloting, please click here to download an application.

This pilot will expand CareAccord’s Direct secure messaging services (beyond web-portal) and afford participants the opportunity to begin health information exchange with other users of Direct secure messaging. For all pilot participants, this pilot will provide a means to “turn on” the Direct secure messaging functionality from their EHR and begin the electronic exchange of patient information with other Direct users.

In addition to supporting care coordination in Oregon, CareAccord hopes to enable pilot participants to meet Meaningful Use Stage 2 requirements for transitions of care, to better understand the impact of EHR integration and use of Direct secure messaging on participants, and to obtain the necessary level of effort (cost, time, and resources) for EHR integrations.

Participant criteria and application process
Complete details on the eligibility criteria and application process are available at www.CareAccord.org or by opening the PDF application here. Completed applications should be submitted 5:00 PM July 17, 2015 via email to CareAccord.info@dhsoha.​state.or.us

The pilot will begin summer 2015, and conclude September 30, 2016. Learn more about Direct secure messaging and other CareAccord services at www.CareAccord.org.

 

Note: CareAccord HISP services for Direct secure messaging will be offered to pilot participants at no cost until the end of the SIM grant, September 30, 2016; at that time, pilot participants may be given the opportunity to continue with CareAccord. More information is available in the pilot application.

Nominations for Health Information Technology Oversight Council (HITOC) due July 8

The Oregon Health Authority is seeking nominations for the Health Information Technology Oversight Council (HITOC), the policy, strategy and oversight body for health IT in Oregon. Legislatively created in 2009 (HB 2009), HITOC is being reformed under the Oregon Health Policy Board. The new members of HITOC will begin meeting in September 2015 to help shape Oregon's health IT efforts.

Nominations are due July 8

If you are interested in joining, please complete a nomination application and submit it by July 8, 2015. Send completed application to Justin Keller: justin.keller@dhsoha.state.or.us.

HITOC members make a difference

Health IT is constantly evolving, which can be challenging for Oregon's health care organizations that must make real-world business decisions and investments. Patients are also gaining increased access to their own health information. This makes it even more important to ensure HIT systems are easy to navigate, helping patients become more engaged in their own care. HITOC will be a forum to define strategies, remove policy barriers, provide transparency and accountability, and measure progress toward achieving "health IT-optimized health care."

Oregon's three goals of health IT-optimized health care:

  • Providers have access to meaningful, timely, relevant, actionable patient information to coordinate and delivery "whole person" care;
  • Systems (health systems, CCOs, health plans) effectively and efficiently collect and use aggregated clinical data for quality improvement, population management and incentivizing health and prevention. In turn, policymakers use aggregated data and metrics to provide transparency into the health and quality of care in the state, and to inform policy development;
  • Individuals and their families access their clinical information and use it as a tool to improve their health and engage with their providers.

We need motivated leaders to help us tackle important HIT issues. We are looking for members who can provide health IT expertise in areas such as:

  • Health care delivery
  • Quality improvement;
  • Analytics;
  • Health informatics;
  • Security and privacy;
  • Behavioral or mental health;
  • Dental health;
  • Health information exchange;
  • Consumer/patient advocacy

OHA anticipates that HITOC will periodically call both short-term and recurring work groups and subcommittees on particular topics. OHA may use this Call for Nominations to identify possible members for these groups.

Nominations are due July 8
If you are interested in HITOC or its work groups, please complete a nomination application and submit it by July 8, 2015. Send completed application to Justin Keller: justin.keller@dhsoha.​state.or.us.

Download the nomination form:

2015-6-22 Call for Nominations.docx

​This article is reposted from the Telehealth Alliance of Oregon's Education Messenger Blog. See this and other articles on the Alliance's website.

 
Increasing access to behavioral health services through telehealth programs

by Susan Otter, State Coordinator and Director of Health Information Technology, Oregon Health Authority
 
The integration of behavioral health and physical health services, as well as the coordination of services across care settings, is essential to Oregon’s coordinated care model. Through the coordinated care model, Oregonians are experiencing improved, more integrated care. To deliver this care and better treat the whole person, many health care organizations are exploring telehealth strategies to deliver specialty services at the time and place where they are needed.
Access to timely behavioral health services can be challenging in some areas of the state. This means some people may choose not to get needed care. Left untreated, their conditions can affect their physical health. Telehealth programs are helping fill these gaps. More health care organizations are leveraging technology to increase access to behavioral health services, particularly in rural or underserved areas.
Here are a few examples of telehealth behavioral health programs that are reaching people where they are:                            
  • Oregon Health and Science University, with support from Health Share of Oregon, is piloting Oregon’s first ECHO Psychiatric Medication Management program. The pilot program connects primary care providers in counties around the Portland-area with OHSU specialists for live, weekly video teleconferences. The one-hour virtual clinics give primary care physicians real-time reviews of complex cases. OHSU specialists provide written treatment recommendations, and each session includes a short teaching presentation.
  • Greater Oregon Behavioral Health Inc. (GOBHI) is implementing a telehealth network to 32 sites, spanning 12 Eastern Oregon counties, including tribal communities. GOBHI’s hub site will be able to host multiple and simultaneous behavioral health specialist visits with patients across the 32 clinic and hospital sites. The network will provide a platform for integrating care plans and provide distance learning and training. The project is funded by a USDA Rural Utilities Service grant.
  • Trillium Family Services is implementing telehealth services to provide psychiatric assessments, follow-up and medication management for children ready for discharge from Secure Adolescent Inpatient (SAIP) and Children in Secure Children’s Inpatient (SCIP) programs. This project is designed to assist low-income children in rural areas, who may not have access to outpatient services. Some children can spend months on a waiting list to see a Psychiatrist in their community, which is a requirement for discharge. Support for the pilot is from the Oregon Health Authority’s federal State Innovation Model (SIM) grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.
  • Symmetry Care provides telepsychiatry services in Harney County. A Portland-based professional provides telepsychiatry visits with children, young adults and their families, accompanied by a Symmetry qualified mental health professional (QMHP). The doctor also travels to Burns twice a year, for onsite visits to further develop staff and patient relationships, as well as provide greater understanding to the cultural context for telehealth work. Another doctor provides similar telehealth services for adults only.
  • The PeaceHealth Behavioral Health Services Crisis Team uses telehealth to compliment on-site staff serving the Sacred Heart Medical Center Emergency Departments in Springfield and Eugene.  The Crisis Team uses telehealth to provide all the after-hours behavioral health services for patients presenting at the Peace Harbor Medical Center Emergency Department in Florence.
These are just a few examples of how Oregon’s health care organizations are using technology to provide behavioral health services in new and accessible ways.

Anyone interested in developing behavioral health telehealth services should begin with reviewing the American Telemedicine Association’s, “Practice Guidelines for Video-Based Online Mental Health Services,” and “A Lexicon of Assessment and Outcome Measures for Telemental Health.” Programs are available for training behavioral health clinicians in telehealth practice, such as the Telehealth Certification Institute’s webinars and courses.

Also of interest, are the insights shared from health centers funded through the federal Health Resources and Services Administration.

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and the Oregon Office of Rural Health (ORH) are pleased to announce the awardees for the telehealth pilot projects. The projects are supported by the federal State Innovation Model (SIM) grant, which Oregon received to fund innovative projects that support the State’s health care system transformation efforts.

In October 2014, OHA, in partnership with ORH, requested letters of intent from organizations interested in conducting for telehealth pilot projects that improve care coordination; increase individuals' access to their own health data and engagement in their care; expand system capacity; and achieve efficiencies in health care delivery. Proposed projects were required to be innovative, scalable, and align with SIM grant purposes:

  • Support Oregon's coordinated care model and health care transformation;
  • Identify and spread health care innovation and/or;
  • Promote the triple aim of better health, better care, and lower costs.

Sixty-seven letters of intent were received from all areas of the state and across all types of organizations. Scott Ekblad, Director of the Oregon Office of Rural Health noted, "This was an incredibly valuable process in so far as understanding the telehealth needs across Oregon. Proposed projects ranged from rural facilities looking to expand access to specialist services to Coordinated Care Organizations looking at new ways of using technology to improve population health. It demonstrates the ongoing importance of collaboration and innovation."

Thirteen applicants were invited to submit full proposals, and five awardees were selected. "We are excited to partner with these organizations and support their efforts to improve coordination and access to care through telehealth technologies," said Susan Otter, Director and State Coordinator for Health Information Technology. "Each of these pilot projects will work to address a unique population and system challenge in areas such as behavior health, youth dental, dementia care, HIV services and connecting paramedics to clinics in rural areas. We look forward to lessons learned through these pilots and sharing best practices for improving care and increasing access in local communities."Projects will begin by in late May and early June. They will run through June of 2016. OHA and ORH will share the results of these projects in early fall of 2016. If you have any questions about the grants, please contact Meredith Guardino at guardino@ohsu.edu.

More About the Federal State Innovation Model Grant
In April 2013, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) awarded a State Innovation Model (SIM) grant to Oregon. The SIM grant supports Oregon's ongoing health system reform and transformation and funds Oregon's efforts in testing innovative approaches to improving health and lowering costs across the health care system, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the private sector. A portion of Oregon's SIM grant is dedicated to supporting and accelerating statewide HIT initiatives.

Telehealth Grantees and Pilot Projects
Adventist Health Tillamook Medical Group
Adventist Health Tillamook Medical Group paramedics cover 1,100 square miles and respond to nearly 4,000 calls for service each year from four ambulance stations strategically located throughout Tillamook County. This project's focus is to reduce hospital readmissions related to gaps in a care between the hospital and primary care or specialty management. Adventist Tillamook Medical Health Group will put high-speed data connectivity in each ambulance to support direct, real-time communication with the Rural Health Clinics (RHC). Hospital-based Community Paramedics (CP) will visit patients identified as at-risk for hospital readmission due to lack of post-discharge follow with a primary or specialty care provider. The CP will have the capability to communicate directly with the RHC's Care Coordinator, or provider to help individuals adequately manage their health care follow up from home.

Capitol Dental Care
Studies in other states have shown that a remotely located dentist, working with an Expanded Practice Dentist Hygienist (EPDH), who is seeing a patient at a different location, can collaboratively deliver quality dental care. Capitol Dental Care's pilot project will target approximately 1,500 children in the Central School District of Polk County, which includes three elementary schools, a middle school and a high school. Led by an EPDH, Capitol Dental Care will implement telehealth-connected oral health teams to reach children who have not been receiving dental care on a regular basis and to provide community-based dental diagnostic, prevention and early intervention services.

HIV Alliance
People living with HIV/AIDS who are newly diagnosed or those that have unsuppressed viral loads, co-morbidities, and/or other medication adherence issues have greater issues with drug interactions, side effects, and other medication adherences, resulting in poorer health outcomes. HIV Alliance's project aims to increase access to care for these persons in rural eastern and southern Oregon with collaborative practice agreements and telehealth technology. The pilot will proactively engage Pharmacists to be more directly involved with HIV specialists or primary care providers through collaborative practice agreements. These agreements will enable Pharmacists to: view and order labs for patients; assess a patient's current medication regimen;
identify problems in the regimen;
make changes to the regimen as needed and in consultation with the HIV specialist; and
provide regular education, consultations and follow-up monitoring with patients.

Oregon Health & Science University: Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center
Currently, 80,000 Oregonians have dementia. One of the main goals of the State Plan for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias in Oregon (SPADO) is to increase access to dementia care. To meet this need, SPADO experts recommend expansion of telemedicine services across the state. The Layton Center's project will create a direct-to-home telemedicine program to: establish the reliability of standard measures of patient and caregiver well-being when used with telemedicine, and establish the feasibility and usability of direct-to-home video dementia care using telemedicine technology.

Trillium Family Services
Children in Secure Children's Inpatient (SCIP) and Secure Adolescent Inpatient (SAIP) programs can spend up to six months on a waitlist to see a Psychiatrist in their community, which is a requirement for discharge. For low-income children in rural areas, access to outpatient mental health services is a significant challenge. Trillium Family Services' project will improve access to mental health services for vulnerable children in rural Oregon by providing psychiatric assessments, follow-up and medication management via telehealth for approximately 80 children each year discharged from SCIP and SAIP programs and approximately 300 children in rural school settings who cannot effectively access outpatient psychiatry services.

ONC Community HIE Grant Opportunity
Applications due June 15
April 22, 2015

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) announced a new funding opportunity for the Community Interoperability Health Information Exchange Program. The grants will fund local work that builds upon existing community efforts to increase the adoption and use of health information exchange.

If you know of organizations in your work that are currently pursuing HIE efforts this may be a great opportunity to apply for potential funding. The ONC will be awarding up to 10 grants ranging between $50,000 and $100,000.

Eligible applicants include:

  • City or township governments
  • Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
  • Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
  • Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
  • County governments
  • State governments

The application submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 15, 2015. The deadline to submit intent to apply notices is May 15, but intent to apply notices are not mandatory. More information on the new funding opportunity is available on the ONC's website.

Application Deadlines and Key Dates
Notice of Intent to Apply Due May 15, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. EDT
Applications Due June 15, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. EDT
Informational Webinar May 6, 2015 at 3:00 p.m. EDT

The Oregon Health Authority's Office of Health Information Technology (OHIT) selected Jefferson Health Information Exchange as a sole sub-grantee to participate in the state's application submission in response to ONC's interoperability grant funding opportunity announcement. ONC seeks to fund efforts that leverage investments and lessons learned from the original State HIE Program and help accelerate widespread adoption and use of health information exchange infrastructure.

OHIT received letters of interest from 10 organizations across the state. Jefferson HIE's proposal was selected as it aligned with the ONC grant and the state's HIT priorities and criteria, including readiness and capacity.

Jefferson Health Information Exchange proposes to use grant funding to expand its current functions to integrate behavioral and physical health data for a more complete HIE. Key work will focus on gaining community consensus on the interpretation of Federal and State laws governing behavioral health (BH) data, as well as to develop a standardized approach to patient consent for sharing this data. JHIE will work with stakeholders and its technology vendor to develop a means to exchange data under the common legal interpretation and consent model. The project will include primary care providers, federally qualified health clinics, emergency providers (including those in Critical Access Hospitals), mental health services and addictions and drug treatment providers (including county mental health departments), and others.

OHIT and Jefferson HIE will work together to prepare the state's full grant application that must be submitted to ONC by April 6. ONC anticipates awarding 10-12 state-based awards nationally in June. Awards will be in the amounts of $1,000,000-$3,000,000 each.

Learn more about Jefferson HIE.

Learn more about the interoperability funding opportunity announcement.

The Oregon Health Authority seeks individuals from across healthcare organizations, who represent a broad range of expertise and backgrounds to join its new health information technology (HIT) and health information exchange (HIE) panel. Panel members will share their experiences and insights into pursuing and implementing health IT and HIE initiatives to help inform OHA and the Health Information and Technology Oversight Council (HITOC) as the state continues its HIT and HIE efforts.

The HIT/HIE Community and Organizational Panel (HCOP) will meet quarterly and engage in the following activities:

  • Share and discuss Panel members' HIT/HIE implementation efforts and experiences to:

    • share best practices,

    • identify common barriers,

    • identify opportunities for collaboration

    • assist the OHA and HITOC in gaining a better understanding of real-world HIT/HIE implementation efforts

  • Identify opportunities for HITOC to consider regarding providing guidance and/or developing policy to address barriers or better support HIT/HIE efforts in Oregon;

  • Provide insights to OHA regarding OHA's statewide HIT/HIE initiatives, concerns or implications for implementation, and opportunities for improvement and support.

We invite you to join the HCOP and share your expertise on these topics and identify other topics of concern. This group is meant for professionals with working experience in implementing or operating HIT or HIE projects in Oregon.

Download the interest form (.doc 48.4 KB). Please return by April 10.

If you are interested in becoming Panel member or would like to nominate someone , please fill out the  interest form and return it by April 10. Interest forms should be emailed to Marta Makarushka at Marta.M.Makarushka@dhsoha.state.or.us.

If you have any questions, please contact Marta by email Marta.M.Makarushka@​dhsoha.​state.or.us or call 971-239-9541.

​The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has finalized a plan to advance Health Information Technology (HIT) and Health Information Exchange (HIE) in the state. The completed Business Plan Framework is a significant milestone in the State's ongoing approach for a transformed health system that achieves better care, better health and lower costs for Oregonians. Oregon's Business Plan Framework for HIT and HIE is available on the Office of Health IT (OHIT) website, healthit.oregon.gov.

Oregon's health system transformation effort is premised on a model of coordinated care that includes new expectations for care coordination, accountability for performance, and new models of payment based on outcomes and health. To succeed, the coordinated care model relies on new systems for capturing, analyzing, and sharing information about patient care and outcomes, quality of care, and new modes of sharing care information between all members of care teams.

OHA has worked closely with a wide range of stakeholders to identify Oregon's HIT needs, and specifically identify how the State, and statewide services could address some of those needs. In fall of 2013, OHA convened an HIT Task Force. This group helped synthesize stakeholder input, including the prior work of Oregon's Health IT Oversight Council (HITOC), and provided recommendations that have helped to define the State's role for Health IT:

  1. Coordinating and supporting community and organizational efforts
  2. Establishing compatibility, interoperability, privacy and security standards for participants in new state-level services
  3. Providing technologies for transformation to enhance state-level information sharing

The completed stakeholder process has also led to a vision for Oregon of a transformed health system where the care Oregonians receive is optimized by HIT. HIT-optimized health care is more than the replacement of paper with electronic or mobile technology. It includes changes in workflow to assure providers fully benefit from timely access to clinical and other data. Using health information exchanges allows hospitals, clinics and individual providers to share the right health-related information among all members of care teams to ensure the best possible care for Oregonians and their families.

In an HIT-optimized health care system:

  • Providers: Have access to meaningful, timely, relevant and actionable patient information to coordinate and deliver whole person care
  • Health systems, CCOs and health plans: Effectively and efficiently collect and use aggregated clinical data for quality improvement, population health management, and incentivizing wellness and prevention
  • Policymakers: Use aggregated data and metrics to provide transparency into the health and quality of care in Oregon, and to inform policy development
  • Oregonians and their families: Access their clinical information and use it as a tool to improve their health and engage with their providers

The State has already seen early successes in advancing HIT-optimized health care:

  • All of the 16 CCOs have agreed to OHA's plan to use $3 million in transformation funding to secure federal matching funds for new HIT services. These funds will be used to support OHA's vision of a whole state approach for achieving HIT-optimized health care. HIT infrastructure will connect and support community and organizational HIT and HIE efforts where they exist, fill gaps where these efforts do not exist, and ensure all providers on a care team have a means to participate in basic sharing of information needed to coordinate care.
  • OHA has partnered with the Oregon Health Leadership Council to obtain buy-in from all 59 hospitals in the state to implement the Emergency Department Information Exchange (EDIE). The EDIE project will provide emergency departments with key care guidelines for patients who have high utilization of emergency department services, with the goal of reducing unnecessary hospital services and improving outcomes. This service has successfully reduced ED utilization and associated costs in Washington State.
  • The State Legislature passed Senate Bill 604 in 2013, which requires OHA to establish a program and common database for providing necessary credentialing information on all health care practitioners in the state to credentialing organizations. Credentialing organizations currently credential health care practitioners independently, resulting in a duplication of efforts and a burdensome process for practitioners. Stakeholders have been engaged to assist the OHA in the implementation of this program to ensure an efficient and effective solution will be operational by January 2016.

Additional information about OHA's vision for HIT-optimized health care and Oregon's Business Plan Framework for HIT and HIE are available on the Office of Health IT (OHIT) website, healthit.oregon.gov. Subscribe to the OHIT email listserv to receive information and updates on the implementation of new HIT services.



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