2021 Colorado Health Information Technology Roadmap Released
DENVER - The Office of eHealth Innovation (OeHI) and eHealth Commission released the refreshed state health information technology strategy, the 2021 Colorado Health Information Technology (IT) Roadmap. This Roadmap incorporated extensive outreach to Coloradans, and input through webinars and in-person and virtual meetings across the state.
“The Colorado Health IT Roadmap is a critical tool in our administration’s continued work to provide access to high quality and affordable care to all Coloradans,” said Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera. “This is an incredible example of what we can achieve through collaboration between the state, local leaders, and private-sector partners.”
Over the next year, the Polis-Primavera administration will focus on utilizing health information technology (IT) to help address the gaps in our healthcare system, working toward expanding affordability, access, and equity in healthcare for all Coloradans. The 2021 Colorado Health IT Roadmap outlines three major goals, including (1) sharing data and ensuring equitable access to health and social information; (2) increasing access to high-quality in-person, virtual and remote health services through coordinated systems; and (3) improving health equity through trusted health IT and digital health solutions.
“I am very enthusiastic about the refreshed Colorado Health IT Roadmap. As an eHealth Commissioner, we have been intentional about ensuring that digital health innovations serve all Coloradans in an equitable manner,” said eHealth Commission Vice Chair, Kaakpema "KP" Yelpaala. “This includes thinking about the role of technology to improve healthcare access for multi-cultural, low-income and rural populations, expanding broadband access across the state, and other important priorities.”
The Roadmap details various strategies and recommendations for policies, technology services, and funding needed to accomplish these goals by 2024. By identifying common values, and promoting long-term, sustainable, and innovative solutions with shared accountability and alignment between partners, the Roadmap outlines a vision for transforming Colorado’s current framework into a more integrated system that enables inclusion and equitable access to data and information that can better serve all Coloradans.
“Colorado is a leader for technology change with the creation of the Roadmap from the eHealth Commission through the Office of eHealth Innovation. Many rural communities have struggled to gain affordable access to analytics for years,” said Michelle Mills, CEO of the Colorado Rural Health Center and eHealth Commission Chair. “The dedication of funding for the Rural Connectivity Program, a key initiative in the Roadmap, has resulted in 63 rural facilities, Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Health Clinics, being connected to meaningful information and analytics. And this is just the start. With $6.4 million dedicated to this program, thanks to legislators and a federal match through Medicaid, rural communities will continue to have growing access to meaningful information analytics.”
This updated strategy builds on the work and successes of the 2019 Health IT Roadmap, including: supporting essential policies to support virtual health care when appropriate; modernizing the state’s identity and data sharing infrastructure; advancing statewide health information exchange to include more information and connect more than 63 Rural Health Centers and Critical Access Hospitals; and, releasing the Colorado Health Information Governance Guidebook, approved by the eHealth Commission in November 2021, to inform and align health information sharing.
Over the next three years, Roadmap efforts will continue to be stewarded by the Office of eHealth Innovation and steered by the eHealth Commission in partnership with state and local agencies, Tribes, and community partners. Join the upcoming webinar on December 10 to share your ideas and get involved- information to register is on OeHI’s website.
Go to www.oehi.colorado.gov to learn more about Colorado’s health IT efforts and how to get involved or contact Carrie Paykoc, Director, Office of eHealth Innovation, Carrie.Paykoc@state.co.us or Stephanie Pugliese, Deputy Director & State Health IT Coordinator, Stephanie.Pugliese@state.co.us