SD eHealth Collaborative
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
South Dakota Department of Health Applies for State Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program
October 22, 2009
On Thursday, October 15, 2009, the DOH submitted an application on behalf of the state and the SD eHealth Collaborative to participate in the Federal 3013 State Health Information Exchange (HIE) Cooperative Agreement Program under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The goals of the program are to facilitate and expand the secure, electronic movement and use of health information among organizations according to nationally recognized standards, with a long-term goal of nationwide HIE and interoperability.
The DOH and SD eHealth Collaborative project will serve to coordinate disparate programs and facilitate an integrated statewide approach to HIE that builds upon the current infrastructure developed through the investment of public and private stakeholders in South Dakota. The project will rely on existing infrastructure for policy development, and work done over the last four years by the SD eHealth Collaborative. The funding provided through the State HIE Cooperative Agreement will allow South Dakota to:
- Develop and implement strategic and operational plans for HIE statewide in SD across five critical domains: governance, finance, technical infrastructure, business and technical operations, and legal/policy.
- Develop a mechanism to ensure the statewide HIE fulfills the needs of providers in achieving meaningful use.
- Develop necessary technical infrastructure to facilitate meaningful use.
- Implement strategies and outreach initiatives to connect providers.
- Coordinate and evaluate South Dakota’s progress in facilitating the expanding the secure, electronic movement and use of health information among all South Dakota health care stakeholders through the State HIE Cooperative Agreement program and other Health Information Technology programs.
Award announcements are expected by December 15, and the anticipated start date of the projects is January 15, 2010.