INDIANA
Indiana applies for grant to boost HIT delivery by:Molly Merrill from: Health IT News
Indiana Health Information Technology, Inc., formed by the state's five health information exchanges and four other state organizations, has filed an application for federal stimulus funding for a statewide health information technology program.
The effort, which is being led by BioCrossroads, a public-private collaboration that supports Indiana's investment in life sciences, seeks a four-year grant of several million dollars under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's Cooperative Agreement Program (CAP). The grant will be used to further enhance the quality and reach of Indiana's HIT delivery system.
"To promote and advance health information technology as one of our state's true life sciences clusters, BioCrossroads assembled the coalition and orchestrated the effort to develop this extensive proposal and establish its governing organization," said David Johnson, president and CEO of BioCrossroads. "We look forward to the new organization leading the charge by facilitating the proposed plan for further connectivity and additional healthcare delivery improvements."
IHIT will promote alliances and innovation among the state's five independent exchanges: HealthBridge, HealthLINC, the Indiana Health Information Exchange (IHIE), MedWeb and the Michiana Health Information Network (MHIN), as well as the state's Family and Social Services Administration, Indiana Department of Health, Indiana Economic Development Corporation and Indiana Health Informatics Corporation.
"Indiana's leadership in life sciences spans over decades of time and is further cultivated by the state's significant advances in health information technology. By more effectively managing vital health information, we are creating synergies for the numerous providers and commercial partners in Indiana's healthcare landscape," said Mitch Roob, Indiana's secretary of commerce and chief executive officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. "This important collaboration by the IHIT team leverages the best in Indiana's life sciences resources and solidifies our preeminent position in the industry."
The state will be notified of funding availability in mid-December. IHIT will then assume full responsibility, beginning as early as Jan. 15, 2010, to facilitate efforts with participating state organizations, HIEs, hospitals, physicians and the national grantors.
"With the help of operating health information exchanges, a roster of progressive hospitals and physicians complemented by innovative entrepreneurial organizations and a long history of groundbreaking HIT research at our universities, the state of Indiana is poised to continue leading the nation in healthcare IT," said Anne Murphy, secretary of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. "The CAP funding will help us continue this role by enhancing the existing infrastructure to positively impact healthcare at all levels."
