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Description and Purpose

The objective of this Project is to purchase an integrated off-the-shelf licensing and regulatory system for Health Systems Quality Assurance (HSQA), to replace and consolidate the five (5) outdated legacy licensing systems:

·         Automated Systems Incorporated (ASI), a Unix based C – Indexed Sequential Access Method (CISAM) system that supports the Health Professions Quality Assurance Program (HPQA);

·         Business Administrative Tracking System (BATS), used to track disciplinary timelines in compliance with legislative and federal mandates, produces billing reports from the Adjudicative Services Unit (ASU) to FSL and OEMSTS, and includes the Provider Look-up web-site;

·         The Facilities Services and Licensing (FSL) system: a FoxPro Client Server system that supports the FSL Program;

·         The Facilities Services and Licensing Laboratory Quality Assurance (LQA) system: a FoxPro Client Server system that supports the FSL Program; and

·         The Office of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma System (OEMSTS), an application/database system that supports OEMSTS.

Scope

Acquire, deploy, maintain and support a single licensing and regulatory system, as identified in the requirements analysis and feasibility study, that will enable the Department of Health, HSQA Division to provide a licensing and disciplinary/enforcement system for health care professionals and facilities within the state of Washington.  The scope of this project includes:

• Business Area Analysis

• Feasibility Study

• Investment Plan

• RFP and selection of software vendor

• Selection of a Project Manager

• Hardware Procurement and IT Staff Training

• Data Cleanup

• Acceptance of new system

• Data Conversion and Testing

• Interfaces with other state and federal systems

• Implementation and Training

• User and System Documentation

• Review and Final Report

Business Need(s)

HSQA has a long standing need to consolidate their existing legacy systems.  Not only are these systems not providing some of the required functionality, but the version of ASI being used is outdated and no longer supported by the vendor.  The specific business needs addressed by this project include:

• Implementation of a single automated system to meet the business requirements of three separate offices;
• Implementation of an automated system consistent with DIS and DOH information technology standards and strategic direction;
• Procurement of a generic system with the potential for use by other DOH regulatory programs;

Business Opportunities

HSQA is not realizing the benefits of many opportunities that could be obtained through the use of an Integrated Licensing and Regulatory System.  Specific opportunities that will be realized include:

• Improved tools for managing accountability and productivity of staff;
• Enhanced capability for data sharing with other DOH programs and agencies;
• Enhanced tracking of DOH complaint process performance;
• Ability to provide ad hoc reporting capability for licensing, complaint, and compliance information;
• Reduced dependence on paper files and increased ability for electronic document storage; and
• Improved compliance with privacy and confidentiality laws.

Business Service Goals

Several service related mandates have been enacted recently that the current systems do not have the capability to satisfy.  An Integrated Licensing and Regulatory System would allow HSQA to satisfy the following service goals: 

• Elimination of redundant processes and data entry;
• Ability to facilitate workload assessment for the management of both licensing and disciplinary activities resulting in improved service to the applicants for licenses and current licensees;
• Improved communication and coordination between staff and programs;
• Ability to track complaints in a more efficient and expedient manner;
• Ability to resolve audit concerns in the reconciliation of fees to services and products; and
• Enhanced service delivery to the public and to the licensed health professionals with additional “on-line” services.

Statutory Requirements

This project will support both state and federal legislative requirements to regulate Health Care professions, facilities and services.  These statutory provisions include:

·        Health Professions Quality Assurance
o       Chapter 18.04 through 18.83 RCW
o       Chapter 18.130 RCW
o       Chapter 69.41 RCW

·        Facilities Services and Licensing
o       Chapter 70.41 RCW
o       Chapter 70.62 RCW

·        Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Systems
o       Chapter 18.71 RCW
o       Chapter 18.73 RCW
o       Chapter 18.76 RCW
o       Chapter 70.168 RCW

Problems to be resolved / Opportunities to be Gained

Acquisition and implementation of an Integrated Licensing and Regulatory System will improve the HSQA’s ability to fulfill mandated health protection activities.  Current problems that inhibit HSQA from fulfilling it’s mandate include:

• The five outdated legacy systems are difficult to enhance in order to provide new functionality

• Dual and triple data entry is required in order to maintain data in the multiple systems.  This increases workload and results in lack of consistency across the systems

• Entering data into the existing systems is error prone due to insufficient system edits

•  The ASI system is obsolete and no longer supported by the vendor.

Service Delivery Enhancements

Acquisition and implementation of an Integrated Licensing and Regulatory System would provide the following service delivery enhancements: 

• Improve quality and reliability of recorded information;
• Improve the timeliness and efficiency of reporting and tracking of disciplinary activities;
• Provide for financial reconciliation to business outputs;
• Provide licensing issue and status information to improve communication and business management;
• Enhance the capability for data sharing within DOH and other agencies;
• Improve the clarity of the decision-making structure and process;
• Align HSQA Information Systems with DOH technology standards;
• Identification of violations of law or rule through correlation of data from different program areas;
• Improve the timely management information regarding program efficiency and effectiveness; and
• Provide direct easy access to basic data for all division personnel.

Response to Statutory Requirements

Acquisition and implementation of an Integrated Licensing and Regulatory system would facilitate HSQA’s ability to respond to current and future Statutory Requirements by having an information system that is maintainable and capable of being customized to meet mandated processing requirements.

Resource Estimates:

Cost:  Estimated investment $3,720,000.
FTEs:  7-8 project FTEs will be required for this project.

Note:  The Feasibility Study provides detailed cost benefit analysis.  It is the assumption of this project that the current HSQA IT staff will maintain the new system.

Alignment with Goals

Related DOH strategic planning goals supported include:

• Goal 1.  Improve health outcomes for the people of Washington State
• Goal 2.  Enhance the public health system.
• Goal 3.  Increase focus and funding alignment on core mission activities.
• Goal 5.  Improve external and internal customer service.
• Goal 6.  Improve internal and external communications.
• Goal 7.  Increase effectiveness and efficiency through process improvement and performance measurement.
• Goal 9.  Enhance management and use of public health information.

This project is currently included in the DOH Information Technology Portfolio as a planned investment. 

Proposed Technology

• DOH Technology Standards will be used for this project

• Database will be MS SQL 2000 or higher running on a Windows 2000 server platform or higher.
• Data entry will be accomplished with either client server technology or a web-based application using Active Server Pages, VB and Java script along with COM+ technology or equivalent .Net framework components and methodology.
• Data Junction, along with scripts developed in-house, will be used to accomplish data scrubbing and conversions.

Oversight and Sponsorship

This project is assessed at medium risk and severity, Level 2 with an estimated cost of $ 3.7 million, and is sponsored by Laurie Jinkins, Acting Assistant Secretary, Health Systems Quality Assurance.  Sue Shoblom, HSQA Chief Administrator, serves as the project champion. 

This Level 2 project required a feasibility study and  DIS executive approval, and may require approval and oversight by the Information Services Board (ISB), optional prototype (at ISB discretion), and external quality assurance.  A Steering Committee has been created to provide project oversight and policy direction.  

Critical Success Factors

The following important facts may come to bear on the successful completion of this project:

• Improve Business Performance and User Satisfaction
• Improve Data Quality
• Reconcile Revenue with ILRS
• Acquisition and Implementation of new system to replace 5 legacy systems
• Migrate legacy data elements to new ILRS system
• Clean Legacy data to meet business requirements.

High Level Project Plan and Milestones

News Flash:

HSQA and CAVU entered into a contract on February 13, 2006, to purchase CAVU's eLicense System. Work will begin with CAVU staff in early to mid March. CAVU Corporation is located in Raleigh, North Carolina; information about the eLicense system is available at www.cavucorp.com.

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Facility Services Licensing
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Last Update: 05/21/2009 06:41 PM
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