NCHICA Overview

Vision

NCHICA will be a leader in the drive for innovative applications of IT to improve healthcare in North Carolina and the nation.

Mission

To improve health and care in North Carolina by accelerating the adoption of information technology and enabling policies.

Strategies

The North Carolina Healthcare Information and Communications Alliance, Inc. (NCHICA) was established by Executive Order of the Governor in 1994. A nonprofit organization, NCHICA is the premiere consortium in North Carolina that champions the adoption of information technology (IT) to improve healthcare. Its members include leading organizations in healthcare, research and IT. Working closely with its members, NCHICA operates in many venues as a convener, promoter, educator, catalyst and innovator. NCHICA leads demonstration projects, hosts educational sessions, fosters collaborative efforts and supports initiatives that promote standards-based IT in healthcare.

NCHICA supports national health IT goals through active engagement in the following initiatives: informing clinicians and other healthcare stakeholders about the benefits of electronic health information; developing seamless and secure health information exchange capability for all stakeholders, while ensuring privacy protections; empowering consumers to play a more active role in their healthcare through their use of IT; and leveraging IT to improve the health of the entire nation.

Activities

1. Conducts projects that demonstrate the value of IT in healthcare such as:

• Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) Phase 1 (Prototype Architecture) & Phase 2 (Trial Implementations)
• Health Information Security and Privacy Collaboration (HISPC) Project Phases 1, 2 & 3
• NC Emergency Department Database (evolved into NC DETECT)
• Provider Access to Immunization Registry Securely (evolved into NC Immunization Registry)

2. Hosts educational sessions on healthcare IT topics including:

• NCHICA Annual Conference & Exhibition
• Security and Privacy for Academic Medical Centers
• HIPAA education and training sessions
• Advanced clinical workshop on Disease Registries in Primary Care Settings

3. Fosters collaborative efforts through committees and workgroups such as:

• CIO Roundtable
• HIPAA Privacy and Security Officials Workgroup
• HIPAA Transactions, Code Sets, and Identifiers Workgroup
• NC Health Information Exchange Council
• NC Consumer Advisory Council on Health Information

4. Supports state and national initiatives that promote IT in healthcare including:

• Nationwide Health Information Network
• National Governors Association State Alliance for e-Health
• eHealth Initiative
• Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI)
• North Carolina Medical Society - Quality of Care and Performance Improvement Committee