Health IT

The Children's Partnership joins a list of twenty-one organizations on this sign-on letter from the Consumer Partnership for eHealth and the Campaign from Better Care, responding to the HHS Request for Information (RFI) on advancing interoperability and health information exchange.

The Children's Partnership is pleased to announe that Beth Morrow, Director of Health IT Initiatives, is joining the  Consumer Empowerment Workgroup (CEWG) of the Health IT Policy Committee (HITPC). The newly formed Consumer Empowerment Workgroup’s charge is to provide recommendations on policy issues and opportunities for strengthening the ability of consumers, patients, and lay caregivers to manage health and health care for themselves or others.  Download the full statement here. 

Download TCP's submitted comments to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, HIT Policy Committee, regarding Stage 3 Meaningful Use criteria.

Ginny Puddefoot presented at the state Health Information Exchange (HIE) Summit; highlighting the public/private collaborative effort led by TCP to develop a Strategic Plan to implement the state’s “Audacious Goal” to provide every child in foster care with a PHR within five years. 

Downoad the Power Point presentation here. 

Ginny Puddefoot presented with Barry Zimmerman, Director of Ventura County Human Services Agency, to the California Child Welfare Council’s Information Sharing and Data Exchange Committee; highlighting TCP’s work on HIT and Care Coordination and the proposed Ventura County Foster Health Link Project.

Download the Power Point Presentation here. 

The Children's Partnership urges Governor Brown to sign SB 1050, which establishes am Autism Telehealth Taskforce within the Department of Developmental Services (DSS).  Read more about the Taskforce in this letter .

Download TCP's comments  on California's HIE Strategic and Operational Plan, submitted August 9, 2012

Jenny Kattlove | July 2012

Telehealth refers to the use of technology to provide health care at a distance. The important and increasing role of telehealth in the delivery of health care has been recognized for several decades. Although there are fewer reports on the use of telehealth to deliver oral health services, evidence is emerging that these technologies can enhance the ability of the oral health delivery system to reach vulnerable and underserved populations.

Download the report. 

The Children's Partnership submitted a letter to California State Senator Alquist as a sponsor of SB 1050, which establishes an Autism Telehealth Taskforce within the Department of Developmental Services (DSS).

It requires DDS to identify a Lead Administrator that will be responsible for the activities and work of the Taskforce. The Taskforce will provide technical assistance to DSS in the area of telehealth services for individuals with ASDs. Further, it will provide recommendations for the implementation of at least one demonstration site project that promotes the use of telehealth and technology to assist and improve the delivery of services for children with ASDs.

Download the full letter here. 

Read the official comments to the U.S. Department of Education on improving outcomes for disconnected youth.

Beth Morrow, Director, Health IT Initiatives
Children's Health Care Caucus, Washington, DC
May 17, 2012

Download the Power Point Presentation

Download submitted comments  to CMS regarding CMS-0044-P, Meaningful Use Stage 2 Proposed Rules.
May 7, 2012

Ginny Puddefoot, Director HIT Initiatives for Vulnerable Youth
March 29, 2012

Download the Power Point Presentation

Jenny Kattlove, Director, Strategic Health Initiatives
California State Capitol Building, Room 3191
February 22, 2012

Info on event here.

 By Dawn Horner and Beth Morrow | January 2012

This roadmap lays out the four design features (and practical recommendations for action within each) necessary to enroll almost 4 million Californians newly eligible for subsidized health coverage under health reform, in addition to assisting the over 8 million already receiving such coverage. While written with a specific focus on California, the information and recommendations in the report will be relevant to decisionmakers in any state.

Download the Executive Summary
Download the Full Report 

CPEHN Health Equity Forum

Download article here.

By Beth Morrow | September 2011

The Children's Partnership has developed a guide to maximize HIT's ability to engage child and parent consumers in their own health by improving access to and use of their electronic health information. When designed with children and parents in mind, HIT can connect, inform, empower, and protect -- four guide posts to effective engagement of this critical consumer segment.

Download the report.

Health Reform Enrollment September 2011 Update 

Maximizing the Value of HIT to Improve the Health of Children: A Guide for Consumer Engagement. 

Download full press release.

By Stefanie Gluckman with Ashley Phelps | May 2011

California is poised to make great progress, and has an opportunity to leverage the tremendous potential of information technology to improve health and wellness outcomes for vulnerable populations, particularly children and youth living in foster care.  Recent technology and policy developments have created an environment in which it is possible to transform the delivery of care by linking systems, programs, and providers, allowing decision-makers efficient access to the information necessary to provide comprehensive care to the whole child.Building on two previous reports, this Issue Brief summarizes the potential for electronic information exchange to enhance care coordination and improve outcomes, highlights current efforts at the state and local level to achieve these results, and raises a few policy issues that, if resolved, would facilitate movement toward the goal of appropriate information exchange between programs and providers to serve vulnerable youth.

Download this Issue Brief.

Download testimony to the Certifcation/Adoption Workgroup on the impact of EHR Usability on the Consumer.
April 21, 2011

Health Reform Enrollment  April 2011 Update (pdf)

Also, Resources to Help States Move Forward with Health Reform Enrollment Systems Planning

Health Reform Enrollment March 2011 Update (pdf)

Download our submitted comments to the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of National Coordinator for Health Information Technology regarding the Meaningful Use Workgroup request regarding Meaningful Use Stage 2.