The Rural Health Information Exchange (HIE) Program is designed to support enhancement of interoperability across the rural health landscape in Massachusetts. Through a Rural HIE Technical Assistance (TA) Hub Model, Rural Health Facilities (RHFs) will receive support to strengthen HIE and interoperability capabilities so that they can improve care coordination for rural patients and reduce administrative and operational burdens on staff. The Rural HIE Program is one of four programs administered by MeHI in support of the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP).
MeHI will award between $800,000 and $1.4 million for the first year of programming to each Regional TA Hub to advance HIE and interoperability initiatives within rural regions. Regional TA Hubs will provide support to regional RHFs via a variety of methods including project management, implementation support, consulting and optimization. In addition, one-time Rural Provider Implementation Awards of up to $100,000 will be available to support RHFs pursuing specific HIE and interoperability projects.
Within the TA Hub Model, the Mass HIway will serve as the statewide TA Hub, providing governance, guidance and support to Regional TA Hubs. Regional TA Hubs will function as coalitions, bringing together stakeholders to address regional-specific interoperability challenges and advance HIE adoption and utilization within the region.
Each Regional TA Hub will select an anchor institution that will be responsible for overseeing hub operations and managing hub contracts. Regional TA Hubs will be composed of a variety of organization types, ensuring a multidisciplinary approach to the HIE and interoperability work that reflects diverse expertise, needs and perspectives.
Sample TA Hub Structures
Rural HIE Program Process
The Mass HIway and MeHI will conduct a technical needs assessment of rural regions to identify priority use cases for Regional TA Hubs to support. Organizations from rural regions will be invited to partner with one another and apply to become Regional TA Hubs and receive RHTP grant funding. Regional TA Hubs will support priority use cases via a variety of methods including project management, implementation support, consulting and optimization.
- Rural HIE technical needs assessments: Priority HIE use cases will be determined through rural health listening sessions and technical needs assessments. These use cases are intended to address the significant pain points experienced by rural health facilities that create barriers to clinical care and workflows.
- Regional TA Hub applications: Rural Health Facilities (RHFs) apply to receive grant funding to become Regional TA Hubs, specifying their region’s priority use cases and target RHFs.
- Selection of Regional TA Hubs: MeHI reviews Regional TA Hub applications in partnership with an Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) review committee to award Regional TA Hub grants.
- Regional TA Hub pilots: Selected Regional TA Hubs will plan and implement an initial pilot focused on one priority use case with pilot RHFs from their region.
- Regional TA Hub expansion: Regional TA Hubs expand work to include additional use cases and support additional RHFs.
Notice of Funding Opportunity coming soon.
This information is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $162,005,238.13 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.