[StBernard] Louisiana Receives Federal Contract to Develop Privacy and Security Policy for Electronic Health Info

[Westley Annis]

Louisiana receives federal contract to develop privacy and security policy
for electronic health information 

BATON ROUGE --- Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco announces today that
Louisiana was awarded a federal contract to aid in the development of a
national electronic health information exchange. 

The contract, which is monitored by RTI International through the National
Governor's Association, will bring states together to address privacy and
security concerns that would be barriers to developing a national health
records sharing system. 

The federal Department of Health and Human Services is sponsoring this
project.

"Since the beginning of our health care reform effort, we have made
significant progress in developing an electronic health information exchange
for Louisiana, and this contract will help us make this crucial health care
goal a reality," Governor Blanco said. "Developing a system where doctors
across state lines can share medical information quickly and efficiently
will reduce errors and lead to safer, more effective and less costly
treatment for our citizens. It is imperative as we develop this system that
we assure the privacy of their health information. Louisiana is proud to
join other states in being at the forefront of this initiative."

Louisiana is slated to receive $350,000 to form a collaborative that will
study which state and federal laws currently in place would impede the
creation of an electronic health information sharing network. All funding is
provided through RTI International through partnerships with these federal
groups.

The collaborative will be asked to develop and propose legislation that will
make it easier to create the e-network. The collaborative will be formed
using stakeholder groups who were identified during the July 2005 E-health
summit. 

As a component of the Governor's Health Care Reform Panel efforts, the
Department of Health and Hospitals has taken a leadership role in creating a
comprehensive electronic health information network. Such a network will one
day allow doctors, hospitals, clinics, emergency responders and other
medical professionals to easily share medical information that allows for
more effective and coordinated treatment. 

"As we continue our health care recovery efforts after the hurricane,
electronic health information can be a way for us to help restore health
care resources quickly," said DHH Secretary Dr. Fred Cerise.

This grant is the second time Louisiana has been recognized as a national
leader in developing such a system. The state, through DHH, was awarded a
$3.7 million federal contract in November 2005 to develop a prototype of a
health information exchange and electronic health record support that could
be used throughout the Gulf Coast region. 

Dr. Roxane Townsend, DHH Deputy Secretary, has led DHH's efforts in this
area. She was chosen by the Federal 100 as a government official with the
greatest impact on government information systems in 2005. She was
recognized for her work to help develop KatrinaHealth.org, an online service
that helped hurricane evacuees get their prescriptions filled.

"During the hurricane, we learned from developing Katrinahealth.org that
transmitting health information electronically helps the doctors and
patients. It allows us to quickly access the medical information of people
who seek treatment from providers in areas where they do not normally
receive care," Townsend said. "In some cases, this can offer lifesaving
information that otherwise would not be quickly available." 


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The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation Louisiana's Fund for Louisiana's
People www.louisianahelp.org