Over the past two weeks, a virtual review committee read eight proposals in response to NAPHSIS' request for solutions that will replace the current state and territorial data exchange system, STEVE. The proposals were varied in their approaches to STEVE, but all of them described systems with minimal to no installation at the local level. Each of them detailed the security measures they would install and the federal data standards they to which they would adhere. In the end, the review committee and the NAPHSIS Board of Directors selected the UberOps solution. UberOps, while new to NAPHSIS, is not new to public health.
Founded in 2004, UberOps is a leading provider of healthcare IT services, providing the information exchange and data integration services for the Florida Departments for Management Services and Health, the Texas Department of State health Services and the Association of Public Health Laboratories. UberOps designed, developed and manages the CDC/APHL Laboratory Exchange Hub (AIMS), which facilitates bidirectional secure health information exchange with all 50 states and the CDC. As such, the committee felt that UberOps was uniquely qualified to move STEVE 2.0 to the cloud and provide excellent customer service to our jurisdictions.
NAPHSIS would like to extend its heart-felt thanks to the review team who executed this process in a highly condensed time frame – and over the holidays! The review committee was made up of NAPSHIS members Jeff Duncan, Mark Miller, Jeremy Peterson, and Craig Ward along with consultant/experts Wes Kennemore of Kennetech Holdings, and Bill Bolton. Staff members Andrea Price, Program Manager for Vital Statistics Improvement and Chief Operating Officer Shawna Webster facilitated the process.
So what's next? As soon as contracting is complete and a more formal work plan is developed, NAPHSIS will convene a webinar (or a series of webinars) to update and inform its membership. In the meantime, one of the very first things Andrea Price and Bill Bolton will do is help jurisdictions prepare for the new, cloud based system. Gathering information and forms from various jurisdictions' IT departments will allow us to proactively design the system. Once these tools are gathered, a Q&A will be posted to the Members Only SharePoint site so that jurisdictions may begin the process of applying for clearance. We hope to begin system pilots with a handful of willing jurisdictions by the end of summer. If your jurisdiction would be interested in being a pilot state or would like to share information and forms from your IT department – please contact Andrea Price at aprice@naphsis.org.