State Information on the HIMSS State Dashboard

On Nov. 2, 2010, gubernatorial elections were held in 37 states and two territories. More than half the states will have a new governor in 2011, making this incoming class of new governors one of the largest in American history. There are eight new Democrat governors, 18 Republican governors, 1 independent governor (RI) and 1 undecided race (MN). 

There were also historic changes in the state legislatures with Republicans picking up at least 675 state legislative seats. These gains resulted in Republicans taking over control of 18 chambers in 12 states, including both houses in Alabama, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Wisconsin. As many of these newly elected officials will quickly learn, the same deep financial troubles that plagued the majority of the states last year are not getting better, and in fact may soon get much worse.

It is too early to know exactly how much red ink states will face next year, but most of the people who track fiscal issues believe that 2011 will be the most fiscally challenging year states have ever faced. NCSL estimates a collective budget shortfall for FY 2012 of approximately $72 billion. The Washington D.C.–based Center on Budget and Policy Priorities places the figure at between $112 billion and $140 billion.

This is in the same ballpark as last year, when 46 states had to close a cumulative gap of almost $125 billion. But while states were able to access significant federal stimulus funds to help ease budget shortfalls for FY 2010, the CBPP notes that stimulus money is rapidly running out, with only about $60 billion available for 2011 and $6 billion for 2012.

Our State Government Affairs team will continue to use the HIMSS State HIT Dashboard to track new legislation, executive orders and state specific health IT issues as they develop in 2011. HIMSS designed the dashboard as an easy and comprehensive online tool for timely access to credible and comprehensive information about relevant health IT programs and initiatives across the United States and its territories.

As an interactive resource, the HIMSS State HIT Dashboard is easily accessible to healthcare stakeholders and very easy to use. I have found the Dashboard easy to use. Rather than searching endlessly to uncover all the information about state specific legislation and elected officials, I have been able to access the Dashboard. With the Dashboard, HIMSS is providing the most comprehensive public resources available on HIT information across the United States.

The HIMSS State HIT Dashboard – freely available to all – includes a color-coded, easy-to-read visual interface that tracks current health IT initiatives. The Dashboard includes resources from the states, such as state specific information about state organizations and specific legislation that address HIT issues.
Using Colorado for an example, I clicked on the HIMSS map and then filtered the page to open the state resources tab, which directed me to a wealth of information about state specific information such as the dates the Colorado legislature is in session, (they adjourned this past May 12). The Dashboard also provided me information about Colorado’s State HIT Coordinator, the state-designated HIE organization and the URL State HIT/HIE Strategic Plan.

Between Dec. 6, 2010 and Jan. 19, 2011, 38 Governors will be sworn in and that information will be updated as it happens. Many of these new governors and the state legislatures will be addressing health IT issues; HIMSS will be tracking those activities as they happen.
In 2011, if you are looking to identify your newly elected officials and track the health It information relevant to your state, my suggestion is to use the HIMSS State HIT Dashboard.