AHIMA FOUNDATION TO DEVELOP BENCHMARKS FOR STATE-LEVEL RHIOS
Partnership with NCSL to identify best practices for sustained health information exchange

CHICAGO, March 23—A new study to be conducted by the Foundation of Research and Education (FORE) of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) will develop best practices and successful model(s) for state-level regional health information organizations (RHIOs) in the areas of governance, structure, financing and health information exchange policies. The study is under contract to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC).

“Many states are already developing strategies to advance the health IT agenda,” said Linda Kloss, MA, RHIA, AHIMA CEO. “The time is right to bring these operational state-level RHIOs together to share successful and cost effective best practices.” FORE will partner with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) to convene consensus meetings and other groups that serve governments will be invited to participate so learning from this project can be conveyed across states.

Under the terms of the contract, FORE will produce public domain information on best practices for state-level RHIOs. The goal of this work is to bring state-level RHIOs together to share successful and cost effective strategies. The work under the contract is organized under four tasks:

1. Research a sample of state-level RHIOs to gather information about their goals, current policies and practices, including governance, financing, technology, health information exchange policies, and short and long term priorities.
2. Analyze findings to develop a framework for describing best practices and model(s) for state-level RHIOs.
3. Host a consensus conference on best practices and state-level RHIO model(s).
4. Develop a plan to disseminate best practices, encourage adoption and coordination among state-level RHIOs, and to encourage participation in ONC/HHS strategies.

The project will be guided by a Steering Committee chaired by Molly J. Coye, MD, MPH, founder and CEO of the Health Technology Center. The Steering Committee will be responsible for guiding consensus on what constitutes best practices and RHIO models.

“Involving the associations representing and advising state government will increase state’s focus on the importance of this agenda,” added Kala Ladenheim, a program director at NCSL. “It will also help ensure that the collaboration and community-building continues after this short-term project is completed.”

In addition, Victoria Prescott, Esq, will serve as Principal Investigator of the project. Prescott has served as general counsel and business development specialist for Regenstrief Institute, Inc and on a team which culminated in the formation of the Indiana Health Information Exchange, Inc.

The target date for project completion is August 31, 2006.

ABOUT AHIMA
AHIMA is the premier association of health information management (HIM) professionals. AHIMA’s 52,000 members are dedicated to the effective management of personal health information needed to deliver quality health care to the public. Founded in 1928 to improve the quality of medical records, AHIMA is committed to advancing the HIM profession in an increasingly electronic and global environment through leadership in advocacy, education, certification, and lifelong learning. For more information about the Association, go to www.ahima.org.

ABOUT FORE
FORE provides financial and intellectual resources to sustain and recognize continuous innovation and advances in HIM for the betterment of the profession, healthcare, and the public. For more information about FORE, visit www.ahima.org/fore.

ABOUT NCSL
The National Conference of State Legislatures is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the nation's 50 states, its commonwealths and territories. NCSL provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues. NCSL is an effective and respected advocate for the interests of state governments before Congress and federal agencies. For more information about NCSL visit www.ncsl.org.

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