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About WHIC

The Washington Health Information Collaborative (WHIC) is a public-private partnership providing funding to medical clinics and small hospitals for the acquisition, implementation and expansion of health information technology. 

Examples of health information technology include electronic medical records (EMRs) and patient registries, each of which are important tools used by doctors and other health care professionals to effectively manage care for their patients.

What Type of Projects Get Funded

History of the Award Program

Locations of 2005 and 2006 Award Recipients

Become a Sponsor

What Type of Projects Get Funded

The awards to smaller primary care practices and critical access hospitals fund partial costs of acquisition and expansion of health information technology (health IT) systems. Funding is also being provided for community-wide connectivity projects and for development of systems that enable patients to be able to access to their own health information. 

Specifically, funding is awarded for projects that address the following:

• Initial practice or facility health IT acquisition and implementation support (e.g., technology, infrastructure, consulting, workflow redesign)

• Increased functionality of health IT already in operation:
• Purchase and/or implementation of additional modules (including decision support tools, computerized physician order entry, clinician feedback mechanisms, and chronic disease registry functions)
• Data analysis and reporting capabilities
• Connectivity efforts in a given community (e.g., infrastructure upgrades, primary care/hospital data integration/interfacing, ancillary communication)

• Expanded patient access to their own medical information (personal health record features) and increased patient engagement in their care.  

History of the Award Program

First Choice Health was the first to provide funding for this important work, donating $200,000 in 2005 to be used for grants. The program expanded in 2006, with funding for the Collaborative coming in at $500,000 from First Choice Health and $500,000 from the Washington State Health Care Authority. Qualis Health and the Puget Sound Health Alliance joined the effort to help operate the program and provide technical assistance to clinics and hospitals.

Interest in promoting greater use of health information technology is not only springing up from private sector organizations across the region, but also from public sector leaders across state and the nation. For specific examples, see recommendations of the Washington State Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care Costs and Access which involves work of the WA State Health Information Infrastructure Advisory Board, and the federal Health and Human Services "Four Cornerstone" activities to promote high quality, high value health care.

Locations of 2005 and 2006 WHIC Award Recipients

Green dot = funded by WA State Health Care Authority (2006)

Dark blue dot = funded by FCH (2006)

Light blue dot = funded by FCH (2005)

Become a Sponsor!

All organizations interested in improved value in health care -- through higher quality and greater efficiency -- are encouraged to support the WA Health Information Collaborative (WHIC). There are many ways to get involved: invest in building a stronger health IT infrastructure by contributing to the WHIC award pool, assist in promoting public awareness of the importance of health information technology and the WHIC award program, help evaluate applications, and provide training or other expertise. To find out more, contact us now.

Questions? Please contact us by email.