State Health Technology Commons
The State Health Technology Commons (the Commons) aims to foster cross-state agency and community partnerships to implement strategies, policies, and technologies that advance health information interoperability and reusable infrastructure.
The Commons brings together State Health IT Leaders from various government agencies and creates a neutral forum, which will provide collaborative peer-to-peer learning and general technical assistance. It will also enable the sharing of new and relevant national policies, trends, and resources and how they impact states while enhancing awareness among federal, state, and community partners, including Civitas members.
Who are State Health Technology Leaders?
State Health IT Leaders may oversee policy, strategy, relationship management, community engagement, contracting, and adherence to federal policy to share data and use technology to support community, state, and national health priorities. Leaders can be in the Governor’s Office or within different state agencies such as Medicaid, behavioral health, human services, public health, or central IT offices. Their responsibilities are often related to coordinating and aligning strategic planning, policy, and operational strategies across state agencies and their partners to support state and community needs. This also includes significant focus on data needs and uses, and not technology issues.
What role do states play in health IT and interoperability?
States play a key role in advancing appropriate data use, electronic health information interoperability, and reusable technical infrastructure across health priorities. Health IT is a cross-cutting topic and an important foundation in all health policy, programs, and technology strategy and implementation efforts. Health IT includes data across multiple settings, exchange of data, and the technology used to improve health care services, public health efforts, Medicaid, human service programs, and financing for data and technology. State roles include:
- Advancing policy levers to enable data sharing and technology to support the overall health and social services ecosystem,
- Coordinating multi-stakeholder efforts across the public and private sectors,
- Aligning development and implementation efforts to support shared, reusable resources and platforms across state agencies and with the private sector,
- Coordinating, blending, braiding, and incentivizing financing and sustainability efforts for health IT infrastructure and data sharing [e.g., shared services, group purchasing] throughout the state,
- Ensuring data content, data standards, and systems alignment,
- Enabling efficient and effective internal and community-based governance, and
- Assessing Federal rules that will impact the state and community health IT strategies and investments.
What can State Health IT Leaders expect from the Commons?
State Health IT Leaders can expect to build relationships with Leaders across states to share learnings and best practices, discover opportunities for collaboration, and build future capacity. The forum will discuss a range of topics, such as:
- Strategies and policy considerations for leveraging and implementing technology to support data sharing among state agencies, healthcare, and community partners.
- Effective cross-agency and community partner collaborations and best practices to help shape state policy decisions and align strategic investments and technical resources.
- Impacts of federal regulations and policies on state efforts.
- Funding opportunities and policy levers to advance technical priorities.
- Implementation and operations of health IT systems including interoperability, technical and resource needs, and data and exchange standards.
State Health IT Leaders will be better positioned to make informed decisions advancing health IT strategy, supporting health priorities, and improving health outcomes through this program.
How will the information discussed during State Health Technology Commons meetings be shared with Civitas leadership or members?
We are committed to transparent and collaborative information sharing. Any information already publicly available or agreed upon by participants will be shared with Civitas leadership or members. State-specific information and discussions from State Health Technology Commons Learning Collaborative meetings will remain confidential, ensuring privacy and trust, unless there is a consensus to share the information more broadly. This approach fosters a secure environment for open dialogue and collective progress.
Will there be an opportunity to meet with Civitas’ members to address areas of common interest or areas of concern?
Yes, the State Health Technology Commons Program will provide various opportunities to communicate, collaborate, and coordinate with Civitas members to address areas of common interest or concerns. This could include inviting Civitas members to attend specific learning collaborative meetings, convening collaborative workshops, or other forums that foster discussion among Civitas members and State Health Technology Commons participants.
Program Offerings
The Commons offers a platform for peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, provides up-to-date information sharing, and direct access to federal partners and experts. This helps State Health Technology Leaders stay informed of federal regulations and national trends, empowering them to make smarter decisions to advance health IT initiatives and strengthen data and technology infrastructure, improving health outcomes across communities.
Monthly learning collaboratives
Modeled after previous collaborative learning communities, such as those hosted by New England States Consortium Systems Organization (NESCSO) and other federal agencies over the past six years, the Commons monthly meetings will include facilitated discussions among State Health IT Leaders for peer learning, expert presentations to build and share knowledge, and conversations with federal partners on specific topics and suggested processes. This collaboration will continue building on previous efforts to foster a safe, neutral place for collaboration and learning. Example conversations may include:
- Leveraging federal, state, and private funding for technology priorities,
- Addressing public health data and system modernization,
- Supporting Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs [PDMPs],
- Sharing best practices for working with Health Data Utilities [HDUs], Health Information Exchanges [HIEs], and community information exchange efforts [CIEs], and
- Understanding the impacts of state and federal regulations on state health and technology priorities.
Workshops
Convening virtual or in-person workshops to solve priority topics based on lived experience and shared learning. The workshops will include education, facilitated discussions, confirmation of perspectives, and collectively building a shared output informing states’ perspectives and needs related to health IT efforts. Topics and priorities for collaborative convenings will be developed jointly with Civitas staff and the State Health Technology Commons Advisory Council. Some workshops may be designed for State Health IT Leaders only, whereas others may be held in partnership with Civitas members.
Knowledge products
Development of knowledge products, such as whitepapers or issue briefs, or produce responses to Requests for Information (RFIs) and/or proposed regulations based on states’ needs and perspectives.
Participating States
Currently, thirty-eight states and territories are participating in the Commons. Bringing together a diverse group of states and leaders from various agencies and experience levels creates a valuable environment for sharing information. Individuals new to the role can benefit from the knowledge and perspectives of experienced leaders. All State Health IT Leaders can identify others working on similar efforts to share innovations, limitations, and resources. For more information on participating or other questions related to this work, please reach out to us at .
