Conn. HIE shuts down

Connecticut's health information exchange, known as Health IT Exchange (HITE-CT), is shutting down. Its failure is due in large part to internal mismanagement and bad privacy policies that undermined the public trust, according to Ellen Andrews, executive director of the Connecticut Health Policy Project.

The HIE wasted $4.3 million in federal grants and accomplished nothing in its four years, Andrews wrote in a blog post. Decisions were made in small committees behind closed doors and presented to the board as done deals, she said. The HIE also refused to adopt a consumer opt-in policy, as used in neighboring states, which would have provided more privacy and security of patient health records.

Connecticut's General Assembly recently repealed the laws establishing the HIE and transferred some of its responsibilities to the Department of Social Services (DSS).

A recent auditor report of HITE-CT found deficiencies in internal controls, noncompliance with laws and inadequate management practices and procedures. The HIE has had no chief executive officer since August 2012 and never provided services or developed a self-sustaining revenue stream.

DSS, which administers the Medicaid Meaningful Use program, has begun holding town hall meetings to discuss a new HIE.

"Hopefully, they've learned from their failure and won't repeat the same mistakes this time," Andrews wrote. "Connecticut deserves better."

Read the complete blog post.