Committees
All of the progress and accomplishments of Arizona Health-e Connection could not have been possible without the expertise and dedication of hundreds of volunteers throughout the state. Many of the subject matter experts who helped to develop the current organization continue to assist in the initiatives of AzHeC by serving on one or more of the following committees.
Consumer Advisory Council
The Consumer Advisory Council is an avenue through which AzHeC can engage consumers in Arizona's HII, HIT and HIE initiatives. Since HII will ultimately benefit the quality of health care that consumers receive, we believe it is very important to have their voices heard throughout development of all HII initiatives.
Clinical/Technical
The Clinical/Technical Committee, comprised of providers, chief information officers, chief medical information officers, and other subject matter experts from throughout Arizona, meets on a regular basis and is charged with vetting a variety of technical issues before presentation to the Board, and serving as a technical forum for further coordination, development and consensus on HIT and HIE issues statewide. Currently, subcommittees within the clinical/technical committee that work on specific topic areas include a Security Subcommittee, a Standards Subcommittee and a Laboratory Descriptors Subcommittee.
e-Prescribing
AzHeC's e-Prescribing Steering Committee leads the statewide e-prescribing initiative (branded "EAzRx") and is the umbrella organization under which all Arizona-based e-prescribing initiatives are coordinated. The steering committee meets regularly to oversee the direction of EAzRx, and they also work closely with the Arizona Partnership for Implementing Patient Safety (APIPS), providers, pharmacists, and other stakeholders to further the initiative.
Legal
In 2006, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recognized that each state likely had its own laws, regulations and business practices that could potentially inhibit the exchange or adoption of electronic health records. Arizona's Government Information Technology Agency (GITA) applied for, and received, grant monies to address many of the legal (primarily privacy and security) issues relative to the exchange of health information. GITA is both providing project leadership for what is known as the Arizona Health Security (formerly Privacy) Project, and working hand-in-hand with AzHeC's Legal Committee. With that in mind, the goals of the AzHeC Legal Committee include:
-
Developing key model legal documents (e.g., contracts) that establish terms and conditions for provider access to health information
-
Researching security and privacy practices that support the establishment of secure health information exchanges
-
Performing the additional legal work needed throughout 2008 to prepare a legislative package for the 2009 State of Arizona legislative session that will change laws which currently pose barriers to the implementation of e-health technology adoption and exchange
-
Creating and supporting technical standards development that improves interoperability and facilitates the creation of secure regional and state information exchanges and electronic health adoption
Membership
The membership committee nominates, reviews and approves potential board members, and reviews new member applications. Additionally, the committee reviews and approves member benefits and dues structure.
Financial and Budget
A small group of board members and board member designees serve on this committee and meet on a regular basis to provide oversight of the organization's finances and budget.
Education & Outreach
Without effective communications to all affected entities within Arizona, development of health information infrastructure cannot occur. This includes communication with entities within Arizona's health care industry, as well as all Arizona employers, citizens, and government agencies. The activities and goals of the education and outreach committee include:
-
Measuring Arizona's implementation of health information infrastructure, and associated attitudes and opinions; Using this information to create effective initiatives
-
Convening and coordinating similar initiatives, in order to create more effective, unified messaging and communication
-
Serving as an educational resource and information clearinghouse for Arizona electronic health information infrastructure initiatives
-
Creating a comprehensive communications plan for the organization, incorporating associated initiatives
-
Convening Arizona stakeholders in statewide, and possibly regional, summits to further education, cooperation, and momentum.
