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Discussion Board Post
Information Systems and Key Technologies in Healthcare Discussion Board
Tonya Wright
School of Business, Liberty University
Author Note
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to
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Discussion Board Post
Information Systems and Key Technologies in Healthcare Discussion Board
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) website (2023) on promoting interoperability
states:
In 2011, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) established the
Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs to
encourage eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals
(CAHs) to adopt, implement, upgrade, and demonstrate meaningful use of certified
electronic health record technology (CEHRT).
This process is ever-evolving; hospitals and other entities have until the end of the calendar year
to submit their meaningful use information to CMS. “In March 2010, ONC completed the
announcement of State Health Information (State HIE) Exchange Cooperative Agreement
Program awardees. In total, 56 states, eligible territories, and qualified State Designated Entities
(SDE) received awards” (State Health Information Exchange. 2019). Recipients are tasked with
enhancing connectivity and facilitating patient-centered information exchange to enhance the
quality and effectiveness of healthcare (State Health Information Exchange, 2019). The State
Health Information Exchange (2019) discussed:
The HIE Challenge Grant Program is providing 10 awards between $1 and $2 million to
State HIE Cooperative Agreement Program grantees to develop innovative and scalable
solutions in five key areas, including:
oCreate and implement up-to-date privacy and security requirements for HIE
oCoordinate with Medicaid and state public health programs to establish an
integrated approach
oMonitor and track meaningful use HIE capabilities in their state
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oSet strategy to meet gaps in HIE capabilities
oEnsure consistency with national standards
The most recent update on this webpage shows that the Virginia Department of Health has
received $11,613,537 in funding from the HIE Challenge Grant Program. In aggregate, the
recipients have been granted a total of $547,703,438, which means that Virginia's share of this
award amounts to 2.12% (State Health Information Exchange, 2019). Virginia was not one of the
ten states to receive the newest grant (Health Information Exchange Challenge Grant
Program. 2017). The highest amount has gone to the California Health and Human Services
Agency, with a sum of $38,752,536, or 7.08%. This is not surprising as the larger states have
received larger sums of money, as have the states with higher population densities. This data is
interesting, and it is difficult to say that the states are making good use of this money for
meaningful use as there is no other data other than the amount of money awarded. It would be
interesting for HealthIT.gov to show what programs these states have implemented to have been
awarded this money. It will also be intriguing to see how these states handle large-scale data
breaches in hospitals and physician offices if they occur since this grant money is to be utilized
to secure these new HIE efforts.
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References
Health Information Exchange Challenge Grant
Program. (2017). https://www.healthit.gov/topic/onc-funding-opportunities/health-
information-exchange-challenge-grant-program
Promoting Interoperability Programs. (2023). https://www.cms.gov/medicare/regulations-
guidance/promoting-interoperability-programs?redirect=/EHRIncentivePrograms
State Health Information Exchange. (2019). https://www.healthit.gov/topic/onc-hitech-
programs/state-health-information-exchange
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