National Office for Health IT Awards State E-Health Alliance Contract

National Office for Health IT Awards State E-Health Alliance Contract

October 19, 2006

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT has awarded a contract to the National Governor's Association to form a State E-Health Alliance in 2007, reports.

NGA's Center for Best Practices will develop a steering panel composed of governors and state legislators working to form health information networks, according to Jodi Daniel, director of ONCHIT's Office of Policy and Research.

Daniel said that three task forces will work on issues, including:

• Health information exchanges;
  
• Licenses and other legal issues;
  
• Privacy; and
  
• Security.
  

The one-year contract, which is the third awarded by ONCHIT to promote health IT at state and regional levels, is worth nearly $2 million, according to ONCHIT spokesperson Nancy Szemraj (Ferris, Government Health IT, 10/18).