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CONTACT: Beth Kaplan, (608) 267-3810
WISCONSIN SUBMITS PLAN FOR STATEWIDE HEALTH IT NETWORK
Governing Organization To Be Chosen Soon
MADISON—The development of a statewide
electronic exchange of health information took an important step forward
as the state’s planning board submitted its plan for Wisconsin to the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Once it is fully
implemented, the statewide network will enable health care providers to
better coordinate patient care and improve efficiency of health care
delivery in Wisconsin.
“Wisconsin is first in the nation in health care quality, and a
secure, statewide electronic health information exchange will support jobs
in our health technology industry and take our great health care system to
the next level,” Governor Doyle said.
The plan, developed jointly with a wide range of private sector and
consumer organizations, lays out a suggested framework for statewide
electronic health information exchange in terms of governance, finance,
technical architecture and services. The transparent planning process
allowed the public to follow the process online and participate in the
plan’s development.
Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA),
Wisconsin is receiving $9.4 million to develop and implement the plan for
statewide health information exchange. ARRA also includes $34 billion in
incentive payments for private health care providers to purchase and
implement electronic medical record systems, of which Wisconsin providers
are estimated to get between $500 and $800 million.
The WIRED for Health Board was created by Governor Jim Doyle in
December 2009 to respond to the ARRA initiative. The Board will soon begin
the process of selecting a governing organization responsible for
implementing the final plan beginning in 2011. Organizations interested in
being considered participated in an application process during the summer.
The WIRED for Health Act, signed into law in May 2010, requires that the
organization chosen be a nonprofit corporation representing a
private-public partnership.
The plan can be viewed on the WIRED for Health Board website, at http://wiredboard.wisconsin.gov
and also at http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/ehealth
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Last Revised: October 04, 2010 |
