States and Regional Extension Centers

Recently, the New Jersey Institute of Technology received a federal grant of over $23 million to become a state-designated Regional Extension Center to further promote HIT-related training, an innovation lab, and building awareness of and providing education on the use of EHR technology. 

New Jersey also is receiving $11.4 million in federal funds over the next four years to fund electronic health record projects that will create four regional Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) to share information among healthcare providers around the state. 

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to speak with one of my friends and fellow Vietnam veteran William J. O’Byrne, JD.  He is a HIMSS New Jersey Chapter member who has demonstrated his commitment to bringing divergent groups of stakeholders together so the benefits of health IT and electronic health records are available to all the people of New Jersey.

This past June, at the HIMSS 9th Annual Policy Summit in Washington, DC,  O’Byrne received the HIMSS State Official of the Year award for leading new initiatives, programs and projects that foster the use of health IT in both government and private industry.

O’Byrne is the new executive director of the New Jersey Health Information Technology Extension Center (NJ-HITEC). Until recently, he was state coordinator for health IT development in the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance. In this position, he worked with the New Jersey Health IT Commission, which is part of the Department of Health and Senior Services, to create a New Jersey statewide electronic health information network.

During my discussion with Bill, I asked him about his new job and his current perceptions of the new position.  He told me the work he is doing now is vastly different from before.  Bill said,

“As State Coordinator, it was mostly high-level planning and strategy meetings with the payers, vendors, hospitals, HIEs and trade groups. I really didn’t have much money or power to actually undertake, fund and finish a project. Now, however, I am dealing with providers mostly, a group I rarely worked with before. Also, I have the ability to actually sponsor work that will advance health IT. I feel like I am really able to achieve something and make a real difference.”

I asked him about “meaningful usage,” and his answer is worth sharing, since I am sure most of the people in the states who are working with their state REC think along the same lines. 

“For me, right now, it is like a far-off goal that I can never forget about. Everything that we do has only one direction, meaningful use, but there are so many things that I have to take care of before I get there. Provider participation agreements have to be signed; recommended vendor specifications and RFI; assessments undertaken in provider practices; presentations in venues all over the State; work flow redesigns and recommendations to providers; visit with providers to make recommendations; execute contracts with providers and vendors; deliver schedules; installations; “go Live;” further training and verification to the feds for incentive funds; reports; audits; it literally never ends, but the goal is always MU,” Bill said.

At the end of our conversation, Bill spoke about the high value he places on the people in the community he has been working with during the transition to his new role as the executive director of the REC. 

“I am fortunate to be able to work with superb people who are all committed to doing this work for all the right reasons. So far, I have found the providers very willing and receptive to our message. The ones that I have called on are very informed and willing to join NJ-HITEC and work with us. I hope it stays this way because they have all been very welcoming. “

My question to other RECs:  Are these relationships working as well in your states?