Formation of the WyHIO
In 2003, the Wyoming Legislature created the Wyoming Healthcare Commission (WHCC) to develop strategies to improve health care and reduce health care costs for Wyoming citizens. In 2004, the legislature passed Enrolled Act 31, directing the Commission to create an Information Technology Technical Management Subcommittee (IT2) to study and plan for a statewide interoperable health information exchange network by Oct. 15, 2005.
To help evaluate the feasibility of such an effort and develop a Health Information Technology (HIT) plan for Wyoming, John Snow, Inc. (JSI), a public health consulting firm with expertise in developing plans for implementing HIT, was contracted by the state of Wyoming to assess Wyoming’s electronic health information readiness and make recommendations to the Wyoming Healthcare Commission (WHCC) on how to rapidly increase the utilization of technology for accessing patient health information.
On June 29, 2005, as part of the IT2 committee’s vision resulting from the JSI study process, the WHCC recommended to Governor Freudenthal and the Legislature’s Labor, Health and Social Services Committee that Wyoming form a self-sustaining regional health information organization (RHIO) to facilitate an intrastate, regional interstate and national federal partnership for the rapid deployment of Wyoming’s electronic health information infrastructure. In July 2005, more than 50 representatives of local, state, and federal government, businesses, medical care providers, and healthcare purchasers and payers gathered to discuss the development of a RHIO for Wyoming.
In early 2006, the stakeholder group formalized this RHIO and registered it with the Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office. Pending approval from the Internal Revenue Service, this organization will become a federal 501 (c) (3) organization.
Start Up Planning
In partnership with Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County, the WyHIO applied for and received a Rural Network Development Planning Grant from the Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to study and establish the organization.Additional initial financial support was obtained from Wyoming stakeholders to assist with the work supported by the HRSA grant.
WyHIO Projects
Utah Health Information Network (UHIN)
In 2006, the WyHIO Board began discussions with the Utah Health Information Network (UHIN) on a possible WyHIO/UHIN collaboration to facilitate the exchange of medical claims data among providers and payers in Wyoming.This collaboration would have allowed the members in the WyHIO to exchange healthcare transactions and messages through the UHIN.
UHIN operates as a centralized, secure network through which health care transactions pass in Utah. Providers can submit electronic claims to all UHIN payers using a single standardized format. After an initial review, the Board felt there was not sufficient justification to pursue the collaboration.
Health Information Security and Privacy Collaboration (HISPC)
In 2006, Wyoming was one of 34 states and territories awarded a subcontract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality through RTI International, Inc. (RTI).This grant was to create a Health Information Security and Privacy Collaboration (HISPC) group that would address privacy and security policy questions affecting the interoperable exchange of electronic health information among the numerous organizations that make up the health care community.A partnership between the WyHIO and the University of Wyoming Center for Rural Health Research and Education (CRHRE) was created to accomplish the goals of the HISPC.
A broad community of health care stakeholders came together to study and make recommendations on various areas of privacy and security issues impacting healthcare information exchange.
Following completion of the project, Wyoming requested, and was awarded a follow-on grant to create an online privacy/security resource center for Wyoming.This center provides a central resource for privacy and security as well as other topics related to healthcare information technology information and exchange, and telehealth.
The WyHIO provides overall coordination of the central website http://www.wyhir.org , which was transferred to the WyHIO at the end of the project.
Healthcare Information Technology (HIT) Capability Assessment
Working under contract to the Wyoming Healthcare Commission (WHCC), the WyHIO completed an assessment of the HIT capabilities of Wyoming's healthcare providers. This included information on existing information technology capability in Wyoming’s medical community, specific software in use, access to high speed internet connections, and the ability to exchange electronic healthcare information among providers in Wyoming.The WyHIO contracted with the Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center at the University of Wyoming to conduct the survey, which was completed in October 2007. View the report.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Grant Application
Wyoming was recently awarded an FCC grant to electronically link health care providers together is a dedicated communications network. The WyHIO participated with 12 other organizations to apply for that grant.
The pilot program will provide for the construction of state or regional broadband networks and services provided over those networks. The networks will be designed to bring the benefits of innovative telehealth and telemedicine services to those areas where the need is most acute. For additional information on the application, see http://www.health.uwyo.edu/fcc/
To check progress on this project, see the Wyoming Health Information Resources website, Under the Statewide Telehealth/Telemedicine Network.
http://www.wyhir.org/Browse.aspx?S=4&F=45
The growing interest in telehealth is evidenced by the increasing number of efforts to build telehealth capacity.These efforts have the potential to improve health care access, quality, and cost-effectiveness, and include both the public and private sectors. However, the efforts have, for the most part, developed independently.
Over the last two years, representatives from the organizations listed below have formed the Wyoming Telehealth Leadership Group.
- Wyoming Department of Health (WDH);
- Cheyenne Regional Medical Center (CRMC);
- Wyoming Medical Center (WMC);
- Wyoming Hospital Association (WHA);
- University of Wyoming Center for Rural Health Research and Education (UW-CRHRE);
- Wyoming Medical Society (WMS);
- Wyoming Health Information Organization (WyHIO).
This group is addressing statewide telehealth network issues, and has adopted three major goals:
- Complete the deployment of a statewide telehealth network.
- Implement telehealth applications for the statewide telehealth network, focusing initially on Continuing Medical Education (CME), with later expansion to clinical applications.
- Develop a plan for sustaining Wyoming’s telehealth efforts.
Health Information Exchange Roadmap
The WyHIO developed a Roadmap for the design and implementation of a statewide HIT/HIE network, based on recommendations in WHCC and WyHIO reports, and consensus developed at a statewide HIT/HIE Conference. The purpose of this statewide HIT/HIE effort is to give providers the ability to gather and exchange electronic healthcare information as one means to improve the cost, quality, access to, and safety of healthcare. View the Roadmap.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Electronic Health Records (EHR) Demonstration Project
Through a contract with the Wyoming Department of Health, the WyHIO developed and submitted an application for Wyoming to be considered as one of twelve pilot sites in a CMS demonstration project for EHR adoption.Major activities under this proposal includedHealthcare Information Exchange (HIE) Needs Assessment
- Development and submittal of an application for participation;
- Assisting CMS with education, outreach activities, and recruitment of primary care physician practices in Wyoming.
However, Wyoming was not successful in this effort.
Healthcare Information Exchange (HIE) Needs Assessment
Initial efforts with the Wyoming Healthcare Commission (WHCC) on the HIT Capabilities Assessment project have been expanded for a Healthcare Information Exchange Needs Assessment.This project will focus on identifying the types of information providers consider to be the most valuable in an HIE, barriers and difficulties experienced in implementing an exchange and the specific reasons for not participating. The data collected in this step will guide the specific exchange projects that would be of most value to providers, assistance required to increase participation in HIE, and where the assistance is needed the most.
This project is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2009.