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AHIC Successor

FAQs

Why do we need an AHIC successor?

The American Health Information Community (AHIC) is a federal advisory body chartered in 2005 to make recommendations to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on how to accelerate the development and adoption of health information technology. The advisory nature of AHIC and its Workgroups has been invaluable in creating a forum to seek input and guidance to understand key issues and policy implications necessary to achieve President Bush's goal for most Americans to have access to secure electronic health records by 2014.

The AHIC charter requires responsibilities to be transferred to a successor. Therefore, the AHIC is embarking upon a project that will take the AHIC to the next level. The AHIC successor will be an independent and sustainable public-private partnership bringing together the best attributes and resources of public and private entities. This new public-private partnership will develop a unified approach to realize an effective, secure, interoperable nationwide health information system that supports the health and well-being of all individuals and communities in the U.S.

As an independent public-private partnership, the AHIC successor can move swiftly to make decisions (not just recommendations) with public sector input, the decisions that are acted upon can have significant market impact.

What role will the successor play?

The successor entity, operating in the private sector, will be an independent and sustainable public-private partnership that brings together public and private entities and resources into a trusted, effective organization that can move swiftly to make decisions. The successor will be unique, due to its equitable governance structure and broad participation of health care industry stakeholders. It is envisioned to serve as the primary organization for governance to achieve the integration and use of health IT that is standards-based and interoperable, while ensuring that health information is protected and portable.

The new legal entity will identify and remove business and technology obstacles to the realization of a nationwide interoperable health information system that improves the quality, safety, and efficiency of health care. The following are elements of the proposed scope of responsibility for the AHIC successor:

  • Accelerate and coordinate of current AHIC interoperability initiatives including standards harmonization and certification of health IT;
  • Prioritize stakeholder requirements for nationwide health IT interoperability;
  • Advance the harmonization of technology standards and policies, including those to protect confidentiality, privacy, and security;
  • Advance the certification of products, network participants, and/or operations; and
  • Oversee and facilitate the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN - a network-of-networks), including necessary governance and/or accreditation of participant organizations.

What is the role of government in the AHIC successor?

The government will continue to play a strong role in the AHIC successor. The Secretary of HHS has facilitated successful public-private partnerships operating in the private sector, such as HITSP and CCHIT. The AHIC successor will be a public-private partnership that will allow government to play an important role in achieving interoperable health information exchange while protecting security and privacy.

In addition to participation of federal and state government in the new AHIC successor, HHS will play a substantial role through funding a cooperative agreement with an entity to design and establish a successor. HHS will work closely with the emerging AHIC successor to ensure that opportunities and risks are identified and addressed, and that a smooth transition is effected from the AHIC to the successor.

Is this an effort to privatize a government function?

The AHIC successor will bring together both public and private, not-for-profit and for-profit entities that represent all sectors of the health community. It is essential that the federal government play a substantial role in order to accelerate the emergence of an effective, secure, interoperable nationwide health information system. Designing and establishing an AHIC successor is neither an effort to privatize the role of AHIC, nor is it an effort to minimize the role of the federal government. Instead, it is an effort to establish a balanced, effective, public-private collaboration among organizations and individuals in all sectors of the health community.

The federal government is not itself establishing the AHIC successor, and the functions of the AHIC successor are not functions that Congress requires government employees to perform; therefore, this does not constitute an effort to delegate an inherently governmental function.

What will happen to the organizations like HITSP and CCHIT that were set up by ONC?

The relationship between the AHIC successor, Health Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP), and Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) will be determined as the AHIC successor is designed and established. The functions and work of these organizations will be sustained and enhanced as the AHIC successor becomes operational.

What is the approach to set up the AHIC successor?

HHS has awarded a Cooperative Agreement to LMI, teaming with the Brookings Institution, to form an organization that will succeed the AHIC. After the successor organization is formed, it will gradually assume the work of the AHIC as appropriate. This measured transition period will ensure that the work of the AHIC can be sustained and enhanced, without loss of momentum.

Why was this approach chosen?

Designing and establishing the AHIC successor is a complex undertaking, requiring exceptional leadership and a broad support base. This approach was chosen in order to encourage the maximum amount of interest in forming and joining this new organization, while maintaining a significant role for government. This approach was developed with input from several organizations and business leaders, and offers continuity of progress and a stable base of operations for interoperability initiatives.

What is the transition plan? When does AHIC go away?

The transition will take place in a phased manner, to allow the AHIC successor to assume various functions as it matures. The Cooperative Agreement enables HHS to work closely with the emerging AHIC successor to ensure a smooth transition. The AHIC and its Workgroups will sunset when the transition is complete. This transition period will ensure that the work of the AHIC can be sustained and enhanced, without loss of momentum.

How can interested organizations or individuals get involved in the AHIC successor?

Learn more about the successor entity, and how organizations and individuals can participate in taking this next step toward an effective nationwide interoperable health information system at the AHIC transition web site: http://www.hhs.gov/healthit/community/background/AHICsuccessor.html

A white paper with more details on the suggested approach to stand up the successor entity can be found on the website and a summary of comments submitted by the public during a public comment period from August 6 through September 10, 2007. The public comment period on the white paper and the Cooperative Agreement application period were designed as an open process in order to stimulate and capture the best thinking on how the largest number of interested parties can come together to design and establish the AHIC successor. The public comments will be used to inform the design of the AHIC successor.

A public meeting was held on August 17, 2007, in the Hubert H. Humphrey building (200 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20201) and via webcast. Those interested in submitting an application for the Cooperative Agreement, or in partnering with other organizations to participate in designing and establishing the AHIC successor, attended the meeting where they were able to meet other interested parties, obtain more information and ask questions.

On September 5, 2007, a technical assistance public meeting was held to answer detailed questions related to the Notice of Funding Availability (NoFA) for the Cooperative Agreement. The meeting materials, written transcripts and recordings of the public meetings are available on the AHIC transition web site at http://www.hhs.gov/healthit/community/background/AHICsuccessor.html

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