Manatt Health Professional Interviewed on California HIE Under New Management
"Can UC-Davis Change Pace of Health Information Exchange in California?"
iHealthBeat
October 18, 2012 - iHealthBeat interviewed Manatt's Jonah Frohlich, a managing director with Manatt Health Solutions, for insight into how California's health information exchange (HIE) development will differ under its new management.
iHealthBeat reports that the Institute for Population Health Improvement, part of the University of California Davis Health System, has assumed the task of launching a health information exchange in California. It recently signed a 16-month, $17.5 million cooperative grant agreement with the California Health and Human Services Agency. Previously, the project was in the hands of Cal eConnect, a not-for-profit public benefit corporation, until it was abandoned in August.
Industry experts told the publication that although Cal eConnect and UC Davis's HIE project share the same goals, the focus will change under the new management. Cal eConnect concentrated on technology solutions, but now many problems have been resolved and lessons learned.
Frohlich said Cal eConnect moved too slowly in developing an HIE infrastructure and also was late in seeking qualified vendors with HIE capabilities and hiring a chief technology officer. He noted that Cal eConnect was responsible for creating a board, updating bylaws, conducting an e-prescribing analysis and developing standards and an infrastructure for provider directory services.
"The task won't necessarily be easier for UC because developing an HIE program is challenging for any institution," said Frohlich. His advice is to move more quickly and be thoughtful about what is needed to reach HIE goals.