HIDI Tech Connect - September 30

State To Submit Application For HIE Planning Grant
MHA Staff Contact: Theresa Rogers

State officials will submit an application to the Office of the National Coordinator for the State Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program. During the next several months, cooperative agreements will be awarded to develop and advance mechanisms for information sharing across the health care system. The state will request funding assistance to support statewide development of a strategic plan that addresses the vision, goals and objectives of a HIE. Grant applications are due Friday, Oct. 16. 

The state selected Manatt Health Solutions, a division of Manatt, Phelps and Philips LLP, to facilitate the project and to ensure the state’s success in applying for HIE implementation funding from the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act. The application must include letters of commitment from key organizations. MHA, as well as hospitals, health systems and other selected organizations recognized as stakeholder organizations, were asked to submit letters of support. Letters of support for Missouri’s application in the HIE cooperative agreement program are due Friday, Oct. 2. MHA is participating in an advisory capacity to the state’s efforts.

MHA recently created a MHA HIT Task Force to engage member CEOs and chief information officers to provide their feedback and perspective on MHA’s direction with HIT issues. MHA’s HIT Task Force will reconvene in mid-October to continue exploring MHA’s opportunities for leadership in HIE and other HIT-related activities.

New Inpatient Data Available On HIDI Online
MHA Staff Contact: Theresa Rogers

HIDI Online now contains an updated Missouri inpatient database. Data are available for federal fiscal years 2004 to 2008 and for the first two quarters of FFY 2009.

HIDI also introduced a new inpatient database, INPATIENT.SNF. Available to all Missouri HIDI Online users, the database includes data for the same time periods as the inpatient database. HIDI Online ED and outpatient surgery databases were updated in mid-September.

HIDI Online provides Missouri hospitals a secure Web-based online reporting tool. Users can
access a library of pre-built queries or generate customized queries to meet their reporting needs.