Attachment F1_AHRQ cover letter_withsig

[AHRQ letterhead]
[insert date]

Dear [insert recipient name],
On behalf of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), I am pleased to
introduce a new initiative, Technical Assistance for Health Information Technology
(IT) and Health Information Exchange in Medicaid and SCHIP. The goals of this
project are to conduct a structured assessment of current needs and to provide both
targeted and broad-based technical assistance to Medicaid and SCHIP agencies in their
ongoing efforts to implement Health IT and Health Information Exchange (HIE).
This new initiative is premised on our recognition that agencies have increasing needs in
the area of Health IT and HIE, within the broader context of Medicaid transformation. We
also understand that there are other ongoing initiatives around the U.S. focused on
Health IT in public health systems. We will be working in tandem with the National
Association of State Medicaid Directors Multi-state Collaborative to identify areas of
shared need for technical assistance, and also to identify the most relevant and
desirable formats for provision of technical assistance.
AHRQ has contracted with RTI International to conduct the initial needs assessment and
to work with AHRQ to use the results to develop and provide a program of technical
assistance to agencies. A team member from RTI will be contacting you to provide some
more details about the project very soon.
I hope that you will participate in this exciting new initiative. We are confident that this
work will help to advance the adoption of Health IT and HIE in order to improve the
quality of care for Medicaid and SCHIP beneficiaries, and to improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of the agencies administering Medicaid and SCHIP programs. If you have
any questions, please feel free to e-mail Medicaid-SCHIP-HIT@ahrq.hhs.gov or call the
AHRQ Project Officer, Erin Grace at (301) 427-1580 with questions.

Sincerely,

Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D.
Director