Office of e-Health Initiatives
Better health information for better health for Tennesseans
e-Health Headlines
The Office of eHealth Welcomes George Beckett
George Beckett serves as the Office of e-Health Initiatives Health Information Technology (HIT) Coordinator and joined the State in April of 2010. In this role, he serves as a central figure for advancing Tennessee’s Health Information Exchange (HIE) and health IT efforts. The State Health IT Coordinator provides leadership in the harmonization and integration of HIE, health IT, and related policies in coordination with the strategic direction of HIP TN. Beckett also ensures compatibility and exchange with other state HIEs as well as interoperability with federal health programs and aligns the state’s resources with the services provided by tnREC to promote health IT and Electronic Health Record (EHR) adoption.
Beckett brings many years of experience in the health care industry to the Office of e-Health Initiatives, including expertise in the integration of health care information and health information exchange projects. Prior to joining the state of Tennessee, Beckett served as Director of Business Applications and Development for Parkview Health in Fort Wayne, Indiana. While there, he formulated an extensive corporate web strategy including the implementation of the same Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO) structure used by statewide RHIOs in South Carolina, New Jersey and West Virginia. This project integrated electronic medical record (EMR) data from hospitals, physician offices, home health care, surgery centers and other EMRs into a single record for health care providers, including a personal health record (PHR) view for patients. Beckett also designed, sold and implemented a web-based EHR application from 1996 through 2007 which is currently utilized in over 100 community hospitals in the U.S. and U.K. ranging in size from 25 to more than 900 beds. He is also credited with developing and installing the U.K.’s National Health Services (NHS) first combined health care/government agency RHIO, and his company became a strategic partner with CSC for EMR document management for 80 percent of the U.K.’s NHS network.
Beckett’s company was awarded two TEPR Finalist Awards for Best Health Care Document Management Application and an IBM Beacon Award for Best DB2 Application Worldwide. The company broke into the “Inc. 5,000” and was a member of the HIMSS EHRA. He also spent 11 years as a health care industry specialist with IBM. He holds a bachelors degree in business administration from Ferris State University.
HIP TN Request for Proposal (RFP)
Effective June 25, 2010, the Health Information Partnership for Tennessee (HIP TN) has released a Request for Proposal (RFP) to identify a Health Information Exchange (HIE) Solution Provider. Click on the following link to view the documents:
Enterprise Medication Management Services RFI
The State of Tennessee, in conjunction with nine other states, is conducting market research regarding enterprise medication management technologies and services. Click the following link to download (pdf) our States' request for information (RFI):
Medication Management RFI - 6-17-10
Responses to this RFI will assist our States in understanding the current state of the marketplace, including commercial/government best practices, industry capabilities, innovative delivery approaches, commercial market service levels, and performance strategies and measures. Information gained through this RFI will greatly assist our States in determining how best to advance innovative medication management services.
Updated RFI Time Line:
• RFI published on June 17, 2010
• Vendors may submit written questions to the Tennessee Office of e-Health Initiatives until
5:00 p.m. Central Time June 28, 2010
• Answers to written vendor questions will be posted on the Tennessee Office of e-Health
Initiatives website by 5:00 p.m. Central time July 1, 2010
• RFI responses are due by 5:00 p.m. Central Time July 16, 2010 (changed from July 12, 2010)
UPDATE:
Click on the link below to download (pdf) vendor questions received and Office of eHealth Initiatives responses:
Tennessee's Strategic and Operational Plans for HIE
The Office of e-Health has formally submitted Tennessee's Strategic and Operational plans for Health Information Exchange (HIE) to the Office of National Coordinator. (ONC). These documents describe Tennessee’s plan to increase the adoption and use of health information technology and health information services among health care providers.
Tennessee HIE Strategic Plan. This is the updated version of the HIE Strategic Plan Tennessee submitted to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT on October 13, 2009. This plan was developed through a statewide public-private collaborative process and made available for public comments and feedback.
Tennessee HIE Operational Plan. Building from the HIE Strategic Plan, the Tennessee HIE Operational Plan was also developed through a statewide public-private collaborative process and made available for public comments and feedback.
- Summary of Public Comment. Provides a synopsis of comments received on Tennessee's Operational Plan with remarks for action taken.
Join Our Listserv
The Office of e-Health Listserv, provides weekly information on activities, events, information and milestones in its collaborative mission to advance electronic health information exchange in Tennessee. To subscribe, send an e-mail message message to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.STATE.TN.US with SUBSCRIBE OFFICE_OF_EHEALTH in the body of the message.
Advancing HIE in Tennessee
The Office of e-Health Initiatives has submitted the State of Tennessee's strategic plan to the Office of National Coordinator in applying for grant funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to grow health information exchange (HIE) in the state through health information technology (HIT). The goal of the strategic plan is to drive improvements in health care outcomes through coordinated statewide HIT that will enable vital, secure, decision-ready information to be available to clinicians at the point-of-care and benefit public health in general.
Meaningful Use
STATE OF TENNESSEE SUBMITS COMMENTS TO CMS ON PROPOSED REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS (EHR) MEDICAID INCENTIVE PAYMENT PROGRAM
On March 15, the State provided its comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) on the proposed rule regulating the meaningful use of certified electronic health record (EHR) technology. The regulations will help implement the EHR incentive programs enacted under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. CMS and ONC issued the regulations on Dec. 30, 2009. CMS provides a 60-day comment period on the proposed rule.
Governor Bill Haslam
