Key Agencies and Organizations
NYS Department of Health, Office of Health Information Technology Transformation 
NYS Department of Health (DOH) Office of Health Information Technology Transformation (OHITT) is responsible for setting health IT policy and strategy at the state level. New York State has been a national leader in supporting state health IT and HIE projects. To date, DOH has announced more than $150 million in funding through the Health Care Efficiency and Affordability Law for New Yorkers (HEAL NY) Health IT Capital Grant Program, Phases 1 and 5.
U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services
The U.S. Department of Health And Human Services (HHS) is responsible for setting health care policy and overseeing health care services at the federal level. Within HHS the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) provides counsel for the development and nationwide implementation of a national interoperable health IT infrastructure. It is currently working on creation of a framework for the National Health Information Network (NHIN). NYeC is participating in the NHIN Trial Implementations project.
Other activities that ONC oversees include the American Health Information Community (AHIC), an advisory committee that makes recommendations on how to accelerate the development and adoption of health IT; and HITSP, whose mission is to serve as a cooperative public-private partnership for the purpose of achieving health IT standards. A critical part of the HITSP mission is to harmonize the standards needed to protect the privacy and security of health data.
AHRQ National Resource Center for Health IT
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is a federal agency within HHS that supports research designed to improve the quality and efficiency of health care. AHRQ's health IT initiative includes more than $166 million in grants and contracts in 41 states to support and stimulate investment in health IT, especially in rural and underserved areas. AHRQ has also created the National Resource Center on Health IT, which shares new knowledge and findings that have the potential to transform everyday clinical practice.
Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT)
CCHIT is a national, voluntary, private organization created to certify health IT products. In September 2005, HHS awarded CCHIT a three-year contract to develop and evaluate certification criteria and create an inspection process for health IT in three areas:
- Ambulatory EHRs for the office-based physician or provider
- Inpatient EHRs for hospitals and health systems
- The Network components through which they interoperate and share information
The eHealth Initiative (eHI) is a private, multi-stakeholder organization whose mission is to develop and disseminate common principles, policies and best practices for improving the quality of America's healthcare through information and information technology. eHI has been a leader on the federal level in driving policy on health IT issues, and has also helped several states, including New York, develop frameworks and plans to conduct their own health IT strategies.
Markle Foundation Connecting for Health
Connecting for Health is a public-private collaborative established by the Markle Foundation with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, designed to address the barriers to development of an interconnected health information infrastructure. It is committed to improving consumer involvement and access to information in the health care system. The first phase of the collaborative's work drove consensus on the adoption of an initial set of data standards, developed case studies on privacy and security and helped define the electronic personal health record (PHR). Connecting for Health is currently working to develop an incremental road map intended to lay out near-term actions necessary to achieving electronic connectivity.
California HealthCare Foundation
The California HealthCare Foundation is an independent philanthropy organization committed to improving the way health care is delivered and financed in California. It has become a national leader and pioneer on various quality improvement issues, including those related to health IT. It provided start-up funding and support to the Santa Barbara County Care Data Exchange, one of the first HIE projects in the nation, and is currently active in CalRHIO, a statewide HIE collaboration.
ehealth4ny is part of a statewide effort to educate and engage consumers in eHealth, also known as health IT. This effort promotes consumer understanding of how eHealth changes how health information is accessed and the potential risks and benefits of this access.
ehealth4ny is a resource for all New Yorkers – patients, consumer and health advocacy groups, policy makers, health care providers, and the media – to find an eHealth network, eHealth brochures, eHealth policy proposals at the national, state and local levels, updates on eHealth services, videos, news alerts, and other materials.
