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In This Issue...
- Thanks for Joining Us at #AIRA2018!
- Cast Your Vote!
- Draft Interoperability Documents out for Comment
- Community Enthusiasm for the Message Quality Evaluation (MQE) Tool Grows
- AIRA Goes to Provo
- National Health IT Week Is October 8–12, 2018
- Recent Information Requests Added to the AIRA Repository
- Steering Committee Updates: August Recap
Check Out the AIRA Events Calendar for Upcoming...
Thanks for Joining Us at #AIRA2018!
The always-professional AIRA team, AIRA National Meeting Reception Photo Booth
From left to right (front row): Jolyn Preston, Tracy Little, Beth Parilla, Kristi Siahaya, Amanda Dayton, Brittany Gyer. From left to right (back row): Rebecca Coyle, Eric Larson, Mary Beth Kurilo, Ketti Turcato, Maureen Neary, Alison Chi.
Cast Your Vote!
The 2018–19 AIRA board of directors elections are now open. AIRA’s board of directors provides national leadership for current and future immunization information system (IIS) activities and our organization. We are currently holding elections for several key positions including president-elect, treasurer, three voting directors, and one non-voting director.
The voting ballot was sent through SurveyMonkey. If you believe you are a voting member of AIRA and have not received an email with the voting link, please email [email protected]. Information about each candidate is available here. The deadline for voting is Wednesday, September 19 at 11:59 p.m. PDT.
We hope you will cast your vote for your upcoming representatives on the AIRA board.
Draft Interoperability Documents out for Comment
There are currently two external documents related to interoperability that are out for comment across AIRA membership. Details about the documents and the schedules for each comment collection period are below.
Please send any comments on either of these documents to Brittany Gyer. We also hope you’ll consider echoing AIRA member comments submitted from your own jurisdiction where relevant.
If you have questions, please reach out to Mary Beth Kurilo.
QPP and Promoting Interoperability Proposed Rule
CMS has released a new Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), titled "Medicare Program; Revisions to Payment Policies under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2019; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements; Quality Payment Program; and Medicaid Promoting Interoperability Program." The proposed rules can be found here.
AIRA gathered comments in August. The final community comments and a webinar about the comments are both available here. All comments are due to CMS on the proposed rules by 5 p.m. EDT on September 10 and can be submitted here.
Interoperability Standards Advisory (ISA)
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has requested comments on revisions, additions, and any other improvements it can make to the current content on the Interoperability Standards Advisory (ISA) site before it solidifies the 2019 Reference Edition. The ISA can be found here. Comments are due to AIRA on September 7. All comments must be submitted to ONC by 5 p.m. EDT on October 1.
Community Enthusiasm for the Message Quality Evaluation (MQE) Tool Grows
A month before the official launch of the Message Quality Evaluation (MQE) tool, about 50 people gathered at an early-morning session at AIRA’s National Meeting in Salt Lake City to learn about the features of the tool and how it might help them.
Their response was enthusiastic. “I’m really interested in the tool and getting more involved with the project,” said Michael Powell, of CAIR2 in California.
What is the MQE tool?
The MQE tool is an open-source application available to members of the IIS community at no cost. It assists sites in consistently evaluating and improving the quality of data coming into their IIS. The tool allows users with varying levels of expertise to quickly and easily generate a series of reports that describe the quality of incoming immunization data.
Users can choose a stand-alone implementation of the MQE tool or invest development time to integrate the tool with their IIS. Both instances automate decisions about whether or not data are appropriate for IIS consumption. The MQE tool adheres to national standards and allows for configurations based on local policy and law. It is supported via robust documentation, a user group, and monthly MQE Project Team meetings.
The community leads this project
The project is the output of the Joint Development and Implementation (JDI) Advisory Workgroup. Features of this initial version of the MQE tool are the result of requests made by the IIS community. Going forward, it will continue to be community-led. Both technical and non-technical IIS staff currently shape the project. We invite interested IIS staff to join us!
The big picture
Evaluation of incoming data varies from site to site. The MQE tool is not the only option available; many IIS may have built-in data quality tools and functions, and this tool is not meant to replace functions and processes that are already in use. The mission of this project is to harmonize standards-driven data quality processes and provide a sustained forum for shared resources and training where needed.
Join the team
Register today for a webinar launching the MQE tool on Tuesday, September 18 at 3:30 p.m. EDT. However, the MQE tool is available to interested IIS now. If you are interested in learning more, please see the AIRA website or contact Maureen Neary.
AIRA Goes to Provo
 While in Utah for the AIRA 2018 National Meeting, AIRA staff Maureen Neary and Mary Beth Kurilo took the opportunity to tack on a side trip to meet with the SmartyStreets team located in Provo, Utah, to discuss the no-cost address cleansing service sponsored by AIRA and CDC. The Friday journey gave them an opportunity to talk with SmartyStreets representative Jeffrey Duncan, who handles much of the helpdesk traffic across the organization.
Jeffrey shared that new functionality is coming to SmartyStreets, including improvements to geocoding that will support more precise mapping efforts using Census tract and house-level coordinates. In addition, Jeffrey clarified that SmartyStreets does cover all USPS addresses that are considered “domestic,” which includes all US territories including American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, as well as the “Freely Associated States” of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Ebeye Island, Kwajalein Island Majuro Island, the Federated States of Micronesia, Chuuk (Truk) Island, Kosrae Island, Pohnpei Island, Yap Island, and the Republic of Palau, Koror Island.
We encourage all AIRA members to take advantage of this no-cost service. For more information, contact Maureen Neary.
National Health IT Week Is October 8–12, 2018
 The Annual National Health IT Week is October 8–12!
Join in support of this nationwide awareness week focused on the value of health IT for the US health care system. There is no better time for the health IT community to come together under one umbrella to raise national awareness! Immunization programs can get involved with National Health IT Week by signing up to be a partner, sharing stories about the value of health IT on social media using the hashtag #IHEARTHIT, and connecting with the local HIMSS chapter.
For more information on National Health IT Week, HIMSS, and how to participate, click here.
Recent Information Request Added to the AIRA Repository
A recent Information Request regarding integrating electronic disease surveillance systems into IIS has been added to the AIRA repository and can be found by using the “Information Requests” filter. Information Requests are viewable only by individual members and individuals affiliated with member and partner organizations. Just log in to view these valuable resources! If you have any questions, please email [email protected].
Steering Committee Updates: August Recap
Assessment Steering Committee
- The Assessment Steering Committee (ASC) meets quarterly. The next meeting is scheduled for December 4.
Education Steering Committee
- The Education Steering Committee did not meet in August due to the AIRA 2018 National Meeting.
- The ESC held an IIS Data Circle of Life webinar on August 29 to introduce two new data quality guides that will be released this fall.
Standards and Interoperability Steering Committee
- The Standards and Interoperability Steering Committee (SISC) met on August 8 and discussed the Interoperability Standards Advisory and CMS’s Notice of Proposed Rule Making out for comment.
- The committee discussed the scope and process for the committee moving forward, including getting the right representation, agenda topics, and the differences between the SISC and SISC Technical Workgroup meetings.
- The SISC also received an update on the HL7 Implementation Guide.
- Due to scheduling conflicts, the SISC Technical Workgroup did not meet in August.
MIROW Steering Committee
- The MIROW Steering Committee (SC) met on July 19 and discussed the new MIROW topic (business continuity), the status of the MIROW subgroup projects, and the MIROW session at the AIRA National Meeting.
- MIROW SC members had a great time talking with many of you during the MIROW Speed Dating: Interactive Session at the AIRA National Meeting.
- Three MIROW subgroups continue to work on repackaging past guides, creating a common vocabulary document for all MIROW guides, and promoting the work of MIROW, respectively.
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