Kansas starts planning for statewide HIE

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has begun planning for the eventual implementation of a statewide health information exchange (HIE).

Kansas submitted a grant application to the Office of National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) on Oct. 16 and, according to KDHE, expects to receive $9 million for a four-year project.

Operational HIE planning is expected to begin in January and continue throughout 2010, with implementation of the HIE beginning in 2011.

KDHE has convened an expanded e-Health Advisory Council to guide the planning and implementation process. The council consists of stakeholders representing more than 30 healthcare organizations.

The group is divided into workgroups, which are examining five areas of the project: governance, technology, business operations, finance and legal. In January, the council will begin the work of consolidating the efforts of the different workgroups into a strategic plan for the state.

Michael Bassett,

Contributor

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