FY 2020 annual report

A Y E A R L I K E N O O T H E R 24 D uring the pandemic, the Information Technol- ogy (IT) Project team assisted members with transitioning to telecommuting and providing services through telehealth, including imple- mentation of new hardware with remote support. Equipment is provided either by having it shipped to the homes of IT Project staff, who configure it and send it to agencies; or by having IT Project staff work at the agencies to start the process and then complete configuration remotely. The IT Project team continued its exceptional help desk services, providing members with a broad range of technical support, including expert con- sultation, troubleshooting and other services relat- ing to members’ computer hardware and software systems. In FY2020, the IT Project implemented a help desk ticketing system and logged 1,163 tickets to date. The technical assistance the IT Project provides is broad, and includes: configuring networks; en- hancing computers and/or investing in software to efficiently handle complicated billing requirements; managing equipment in multiple locations and with staff who are on the road; implementing Microsoft Office 365 (O365) , which is free to nonprofits; con- verting e-mail systems to O365; and much more. An extra value of working with the IT Project is that the team has an understanding of the non-technical challenges providers face, such as operating within a fee-for-service reimbursement system and com- plying with multiple confidentiality regulations. The IT Project’s support resulted in expanded agency use of O365, as well as OneDrive and SharePoint, all of which help increase efficiency and ensure protec- tion of data. To keep providers ahead of the curve in a quickly evolving healthcare environment, the IT Project team held numerous educational workshops both in person and as webinars. Examples of topics covered are: • Microsoft Power BI (a business analytics tool), Layers 1 and 2 • IT Business Continuity Planning for 2020 • How Much Should You Spend on IT? • Ensuring a Secure and Compliant Office 365 Environment • COVID-19 and Behavioral Health Providers: HIPAA, Telehealth and Tele-mental Health, CARES Act Amendment to 42 CFR Part 2, and more! The IT Project moved forward in establishing an electronic health record (EHR) collaborative as part of the Substance Use Disorder Promoting Interop- erability Project (SUD PIP). This initiative is funded and overseen by the New Jersey Department of Health and Department of Human Services, and the IT Project is managing the project in collabora- tion with the New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII). The SUD PIP supports SUD treatment providers’ implementation of EHRs in their facilities and will improve coordination among providers and the rest of the healthcare system by increasing EHR usage and interoperability, including connection to the New Jersey Health Information Network. The NJHIN provides the infrastructure for electronic sharing of patient health information among healthcare providers, health information exchanges and state health data sources. The year started off with three Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) facilities entering into a contract with TenEleven to collaborate and jointly implement the eCR platform, adopting best practices from each other, thus creating a stronger workforce who will be cross trained in the application. Due to the pandemic, all meetings are now held virtually, and the implementation process is going smoothly. All agencies expect to attest to Milestone 2 of the SUD PIP program in December 2020.