Health Care IT
Improve Quality of Care across the Lifespan
Health Care Provider access to electronic information about their patients is crucial for an effective and efficient health care system.
Vermont’s Governor Jim Douglas believes this aspect of health care is so important that he has been named co-chair of the State Alliance for e-Health, a new program of the National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices. The State Alliance composed of executive-level state officials, will provide a nationwide forum for stateholders to work together to identify health information technology policies and best practices, and to explore solutions to programmatic and legal issues related to the exchange of health information. State Alliance for e-Health formally launched a state-led, collaborative effort to improve health care through electronic health record sharing January 26, 2007.
The Vermont Information Technology Leaders (VITL), a public-private partnership, is charged with developing the statewide, integrated, electronic health information infrastructure for the sharing of health information among health care facilities, health care professionals, public and private payers, and patients. VITL is charged with developing a State Health Care Information Technology Plan to address issues related to data ownership, governance, and confidentiality and security of patient information.
As a first step, VITL is implementing the Medication History Pilot Project which will reduce the risk of adverse drug events, improve the health care quality for many Vermonters, and save health care costs. VITL is also the conduit for the Chronic Care Management Information System to support the Blueprint for Health.
In 2008 the Vermont legislature established a Health-IT Fund in the state treasury to be used for health care information technology programs and initiatives such as those outlined in the Vermont health information technology plan, including:
- A program to provide electronic health information systems and practice management systems for primary care practitioners in Vermont;
- Financial support for Vermont Information Technology Leaders (VITL) to build and operate the health information exchange network;
- Implementation of the Vermont Blueprint for Health information technology initiatives and the advanced medical home project; and
- Consulting services for installation, integration, and clinical process re-engineering relating to the utilization of healthcare information technology such as electronic medical records.
The Fund is financed through an assessment of 0.199 of one percent of all health insurance claims for Vermont members, beginning with quarterly payments in October, 2008. Please see the following links for more information:
- Letter to Insurers providing Guidelines for Payment Submission
- Application to Request Funds and Fund Project Summary Worksheet
- RFP for Independent Study of Fund Effectiveness
