EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 2009-15


WHEREAS, the Congress and President of the United States enacted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Act), which provides for the expenditure of $500 billion in federal funds for infrastructure investment, health care and welfare programs, and other public works;

WHEREAS, the Act includes the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (the HITECH Act) that sets forth a plan for advancing the appropriate use of health information technology to improve quality of care and establish a foundation for health care reform;

WHEREAS, the HITECH Act authorizes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to administer incentives to eligible professionals and hospitals to encourage the use of secure, electronic health records (EHRs);

WHEREAS, to achieve the goal of transforming the health care system through health information technology, three things must first be established:

• Clinicians and hospitals must acquire and implement certified EHRs in a way that fully integrates these tools into the care delivery process;

• Technical, legal, and financial supports are needed to enable information to flow securely and to support health care and population health; and,

• A skilled workforce needs to support the adoption of EHRs, information exchange across health care providers and public health authorities, and the redesign of work-flows within health care settings to gain the quality and efficiency benefits of EHRs while maintaining individual privacy and security; and

WHEREAS, health information technology systems are powerful tools that may be used to achieve outstanding quality in health care delivery, resource coordination, cost efficiency, and patient safety in the health care system.

NOW, THEREFORE, I hereby establish the Interim Governance Committee (Committee). The Committee’s purpose is to recommend strategies and policies to successfully implement and sustain a statewide Health Information Exchange (HIE).

The Committee shall:

• Convene healthcare stakeholders and build trust and consensus among the stakeholders;

• Discuss ways to enhance the technical architecture and framework of the statewide HIE to promote the meaningful use of electronic health records by providers;

• Cooperate with stakeholders to develop appropriate standards for the statewide HIE’s privacy, security, and interoperability that aligns with state and federal standards;

• Establish mechanisms to provide oversight and accountability to the HIE; and

• Advise and assist with the development of proposed enabling legislation to create a permanent governing body.

The Committee consists of the following members or their designees:

(1) President of the South Carolina Hospital Association;
(2) Chief Executive Officer of the South Carolina Office of Rural Health;
(3) President of the South Carolina Medical Association;
(4) Chief Executive Officer of the South Carolina Primary Health Care Association;
(5) President of the South Carolina Pharmacy Association;
(6) Director of the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services;
(7) Director of the Budget and Control Board’s Office of Research and Statistics;
(8) Commissioner of the Department of Health and Environmental Control;
(9) Chairman of the Board of the Lakelands Rural Health Network;
(10) President and Chief Executive Officer of Health Sciences South Carolina; and
(11) A consumer.

This Order is effective immediately.

GIVEN UNDER MY HAND AND THE GREAT SEAL OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, THIS 16TH DAY OF OCTOBER 2009.

MARK SANFORD
Governor

This page last updated on Friday, November 20, 2009 at 10:44 A.M.