News from MeHI
October/November 2019
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MeHI Expands Its
Digital Health Sandbox Network
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MeHI has announced the addition of three new sandboxes to its Digital Health Sandbox Network. Launched in April 2019,
the program
is designed to open doors for healthcare technology startups to access cutting-edge research and development facilities, or ‘sandboxes.’
Massachusetts sandboxes offer many benefits to startups, but the cost of entry can be prohibitive for small digital health companies. Sandboxes in the network are eligible to receive grants that offset costs to support Massachusetts-based digital health companies, allowing the companies to test existing technologies, develop new products and services, and evaluate their company’s value proposition.
Digital health companies based in Massachusetts can learn more about the Sandbox Network and how to apply on the
program webpage.
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MeHI is pleased to announce a new
grant program
that will provide $500,000 to pilot digital health technologies at employer organizations to reduce healthcare costs. The Right Care 4 You Grant Program supports the
recommendations
of the
Massachusetts Employer Health Coalition
and is designed to both reduce healthcare costs for Massachusetts employers and the Commonwealth as a whole, and develop success stories for Massachusetts digital health companies.
To support both large and small employers, MeHI developed two tracks of the grant program. Massachusetts digital health companies with products or services that help address employer healthcare costs are eligible to apply to one or both program tracks. Concept papers, the first step in the application process for either track, are due on
January 30, 2020
.
MeHI will host an informational webinar for interested digital health companies and employers on
December 4
th
at
Noon.
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Finalists Announced for
Price is Your Right Design Challenge
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This fall, MeHI partnered with the Massachusetts Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA), the Donaghue Foundation, the Harvard Medical School Department of Health Care Policy, and Freedman HealthCare to sponsor the
Price Is Your Right design challenge.
Using actual data from Massachusetts and New Hampshire, participants were asked to design a prototype for a mobile app or website that presents healthcare cost data and other relevant information in an easy-to-use format, allowing patients to make more informed decisions about where to get their care. After receiving 12 thoughtful designs, six finalists were selected: three professional teams and three student teams.
The finalists are:
HSRI Data Miners, Team Archie, Come On Down (Prices)!, MJEM Consulting, Access Health, and HealthyCent$. The finalists will submit video pitches and compete for $6,500 in prizes. All Honorable Mention and Grand Prize winners will be announced on December 13
th.
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New! Process Improvement Toolkit
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MeHI’s new
Process Improvement Toolkit
describes the Bottleneck Resolution Method, a practical strategy to improve service and administrative processes. The strategies are broadly applicable, but the toolkit is targeted at the healthcare community.
The Method can increase the quantity and quality of what a business produces and decrease its cost. Healthcare providers can use this to improve care coordination through health information exchange, improve Meaningful Use, or address other clinical care practices.
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Explore the new toolkit to learn more, or register to attend one of MeHI’s free Proce
ss Improvement Workshops (below) to learn hands-on how to use this Method to improve your organization's Health IT and clinical processes.
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Process Improvement Workshop
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Join us for a free Process Improvement Workshop to improve Meaningful Use (MU), health information exchange (HIE), and other clinical care practices.
The workshop will provide you with broadly applicable tools to improve your MU and HIE practices and workflows. You'll engage in discussions to share your own experiences, team-building activities to get to know the other participants, and hands-on exercises to address process challenges of interest to the group.
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The workshop consists of
two in-person sessions at MeHI's conference center in Westborough, MA. A light breakfast and lunch will be served. As the first session prepares you for the second, we advise you to attend both.
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Thursday, January 23
9:30am- 3:00pm
and
Thursday, January 30
9:30am-3:00pm
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CMS Approved Concession
for API Access Requirements
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CMS has announced that as long as Eligible Professionals (EPs) enable their API before the end of the calendar year, they can satisfy
Measure 1
of Meaningful Use Objective 5,
Patient Electronic Access
(PEA).
This concession means that the API no longer has to be enabled before or during the MU Reporting Period. It also waives the requirement that PHI must be made available to each patient via API access within 48 hours of the information becoming available to the EP, each and every time that information is generated. PHI just needs to be made available via API access by
December 31, 2019
. (The 48 hour requirement still applies to VDT).
In line with
this co
ncession, we defined additional
supporting documentation requirements
for EPs to demonstrate PEA Measure 1 compliance. These requirements apply
only
to EPs who enabled their API after the start of their selected MU Reporting Period.
To learn more, register to attend the webinar below. Our Technical Assistants will explain how to create supporting documentation to demonstrate that PEA Measure 1 was satisfied for PY2019.
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Webinar: API Requirement for Measure 1 of MU Objective 5
Date:
Friday, November 22
Time:
1:00pm-2:00pm
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Program Year 2019 Reminders
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The attestation deadline for Program Year 2019 is
March 31, 2020
. As you wrap up calendar year 2019 and prepare for attestation, we encourage you to visit the
MU Toolkit
for the most up-to-date tools and resources, and reach out to our
Technical Assistance Team
with any questions.
Stay tuned to our newsletter and announcements for more information about Stage 3 Meaningful Use and Program Year 2019.
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National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
Academy Health Fellowships
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Delivery System
Science Fellowship
This unique fellowship experience is open to highly qualified,
post-doctoral researchers
with a background in health services research or related fields. T
his paid, year-long program is an opportunity to t
rain with leading delivery systems across the nation using evidence to improve the performance of the healthcare system.
Application Deadline:
January 1, 2020
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Health Policy
Fellowship
This one-of-a-kind opportunity will allow you to address important issues in health policy by conducting studies using restricted data from National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) data systems and programs. During this 12-month program, you will acquire firsthand experience conducting studies to address important issues in health policy.
Application Deadline:
January 1, 2020
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Webinar: 2020 Connection Requirement
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For 2020, the Mass HIway Regulations (101 CMR 20.00) require all Acute Care Hospitals, all Community Health Centers, and Large and Medium Medical Ambulatory Practices to connect to the Mass HIway. Organizations must meet the requirement by
January 1, 2020
and submit an attestation form during the summer of 2020.
Join us for an informative webinar to learn about the HIway connection requirements and how to submit attestation forms online.
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Tuesday, December 3rd
Noon-1:00pm
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