Even within an organization that might think of itself as an enterprise, such as a police department or a hospital, there are impediments to open communications and information sharing. Tightly knit communities of interest within enterprises are generally regarded as places where information is freely and openly shared in order for the members of such […]
Category: Bridging Service Silos
Interoperability At The Tipping Point
Whatever you call it – a tipping point, a paradigm shift, an inflection point – we are on the verge of a fundamental shift in the way human services are designed, built and delivered across America. Of course it is not by chance, but rather the dividend of a tremendous investment of energy, devotion, creativity […]
MEDICAID’S ENHANCED MATCH: DEAD OR ALIVE AFTER SUPREME COURT DECISION?
There are at least three reasons why the 90/10 Federal match will not be affected by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision this week regarding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). First, the basis for changing the Medicaid match for IT systems is deeply rooted in federal regulation, not statute. In effect, CMS simply […]
Our Job is to Help Children and Families: Why Should We Care about the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM)?
When I was an Assistant Commissioner for foster care for a large city in the United States, I spent my days primarily doing one of two things: 1) putting out fires; and 2) trying to change the system so those same fires didn’t rekindle when I turned my back to extinguish a different fire. All […]
The Fierce Urgency of NOW
In my 36-year career with the federal government, I have never seen a better time to reach our goals of achieving interoperability across the Health and Human Services Divide. From across the broad spectrum of stakeholders, organizations, key decision-makers and thought-leaders are all signing on. Like many of us, I have collected and treasured favorite […]
New Funding Opportunities for Interoperability
Now is a great time to be a health and human services government leader committed to breaking down service silos to create a true system of care, at least for eligibility determination. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has put States on the fast track to developing new eligibility systems for Medicaid in order […]