Statewide Initiatives

 

The Ohio Health Information Partnership Ohio Health Information Partnership (OHIP)

 

 

The Ohio Health Information Partnership (OHIP) is a non-profit entity, funded through a combination of state and federal grants, to assist physicians and other providers with implementation and adoption of health information technology (HIT) throughout Ohio. 

OHIP’s Funding

OHIP was created as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which was enacted in 2009, to create a national health information exchange and to increase the adoption of health information technology by health care providers. 

OHIP was one of two entities in Ohio recognized by the state of Ohio and the federal governments to receive funding to achieve these goals.  OHIP initially received a total of $34,393.199 in funding ($28,500,000 in federal monies and $5,893,199 in state and other matching monies) to serve as the Regional Extension Center (REC) for 77 of Ohio’s 88 counties. An additional $516,000 was subsequently awarded through the REC federal grant to assist Rural and Critical Access Hospitals.  OHIP also received $16,979,000 in funding ( $14,872,199 in federal  monies and  $2,106,801 in state match monies) for the development of a Health Information Exchange.

Mission Statement

 

OHIP’s mission is to advance the adoption, implementation and meaningful use of health IT among health care providers and facilitate and develop an electronic health information exchange (HIE) in order to improve the safety, quality, accessibility, availability and efficiency of health care for the citizens of Ohio.

Vision for Ohio


It is the vision of OHIP to create a secure, sustainable health information exchange that ensures the protection of all patient records, enables providers to access necessary, patient-authorized health information and improves the overall level of health care provided through-out the state of Ohio.

Goal of OHIP

 

The goal of OHIP is to create a trusted and sustainable statewide health information exchange (HIE), offering a value-added, integrated and seamless structure for enabling health data exchange to improve measureable health outcomes for citizens of Ohio. To achieve this goal, OHIP has established the following objectives:

  • Promote the ability for providers to reach meaningful use to improve the quality of health care delivered;

  • Provide a financially sustainable HIE that is not reliant on long term public or grant support;

  • Provide a technical architecture that ensures private and secure exchange of health information with regional HIOs, HIEs located in other states and with disparate EHR systems using federally-endorsed standards and integration protocols;

  • Develop a governance structure that is able to operate in a manner that is fair and efficient for all stakeholder groups through-out the state;

  • Harmonize Ohio laws and regulations encompassing health information and exchange with national standards and requirements;

  • Provide de-identified and aggregate clinical health data to address population health issues in Ohio in an administratively efficient manner.

Health Information Exchange

The overall purpose of creating a Health Information Exchange (HIE) is to facilitate and expand the secure, electronic movement and use of health information in accordance with nationally recognized standards. 

Widespread adoption and meaningful use of Health Information Technology (HIT) is one of the keys to improving the quality and efficiency of health care. The appropriate and secure electronic exchange and consequent use of health information to improve quality and coordination of care is a critical enabler of a high performance health care system.

As the state designated entity, OHIP is currently developing statewide policy, governance, technical infrastructure and business practices needed to support the delivery of the state's HIE services. The resulting capabilities for healthcare-providing entities to exchange health information will meet the forthcoming Medicaid and Medicare meaningful use requirements for health care providers to achieve financial incentives.

There are four primary drivers influencing OHIP’s strategy for statewide HIE adoption.  These drivers are fundamental to the planning process and include meaningful use, national standards protocol development, revenue sustainability and balancing core services with regional flexibility.  OHIP is planning a phased implementation approach focusing on clinical and administrative services most likely to address these primary drivers and progressing towards a full service solution.

OHIP's HIT Plan Approved - View the Press Release


Regional Extension Center 

 

To enable priority primary-care providers throughout the nation to move rapidly, effectively and efficiently towards the objective of achieving meaningful use of certified EHRs, ONC has identified through merit-based selection a cohort of applicants that are qualified to serve as Regional Extension Centers (RECS). As a successful recipient has formed a collaborative learning network (consortium) that is facilitated by the HITRC.  Lessons learned by OHIP and other Regional Centers about effective practices in provider implementation and use of EHRs, and in supporting priority primary-care providers, will be shared through the HITRC across RECs and with the public.


The purpose of the RECs is to furnish assistance, defined as education, outreach, and technical assistance, to help providers in their geographic service areas select, successfully implement, and meaningfully use certified EHR technology to improve the quality and value of health care.  RECs will also help providers achieve, through appropriate available infrastructures, exchange of health information in compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, and patient preferences.  The support for health information exchange that is provided by Regional Centers will also be consistent with any applicable State Plan(s) for HIE developed and HHS-approved via the cooperative agreements issued by ONC pursuant to PHSA Section 3013, as added by ARRA.To integrate and synchronize adoption activities with the statewide HIE.