CHIME Launches Site for State-Level Collaboration

CHIME Takes on State Issues

CHIME has launched CIO State Network (StateNet) as a tool to enhance communication among healthcare CIOs on important state matters related to HITECH. The new Website will enable all CIOs, whether CHIME members or not, public access to information, communication and coordination among IT executives at the state level, according to the organization. The project, which will go live later this month, has at least one CIO volunteer for all 50 states, including the District of Columbia.

Under HITECH, states are tasked with having a state HIE plan; providing a state-designated entity responsible for health IT; offering strategic and operational plans for HIE infrastructure; and providing state-level directories to enable statewide technology platforms for HIEs. Other activities will be happening at the state level, including HIE planning and implementation grants and regional extension centers. States also will have responsibility for operating Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, which are expected to have differing rules for eligibility and EHR-eligible incentive payment amounts.

StateNet, CHIME contends, enables CIOs to share important information on their states, while helping them share intelligence between states. CHIME has developed a toolkit to help them gather basic information about HIT activity in their states, such as identifying the HIT planning authority, strategic and operational plans, state-level directories, and HIE business and operational processes. CHIME is providing resource materials, including an inventory of state recovery and HIT Web sites, individual list-serves for each state, and publicly available Web pages for sharing state-specific information.