CalHHS Launches Portal for State’s First Health Data Sharing Agreement

The California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS) has launched an online portal allowing healthcare stakeholders to sign on to California’s first-ever HHS Data Sharing Agreement ahead of a state-mandated deadline on January 31, 2023.

The Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) is the first step in the state’s recently adopted CalHHS Data Exchange Framework, which seeks to promote health equity by accelerating and expanding the exchange of health information among healthcare entities, government agencies, and social service programs.

CalHHS finalized the Data Exchange Framework in July after a year of input from hundreds of experts and stakeholders.

“The California Health and Human Services Data Exchange Framework helps us to deliver on our vision of a Healthy California for All, where health and human services providers are able to work together as a team to address the holistic needs of those they serve with the real-time exchange of data and information,” Mark Ghaly, MD, MPH, secretary of CalHHS said in a press release.

“This seamless exchange of data is essential to advancing quality and equity,” Ghaly added. “When providers commit to this framework, they are also renewing their commitment to advance quality and equity.”

To ensure all signatories have the education, training, and resources needed to sign the DSA by the January 31, 2023 deadline, the data exchange framework is awarding Educational Initiative Grants for associations to provide educational activities about the framework to signatories across the state.

In 2023, CalHHS will also award Qualified Health Information Organization (QHIO) Onboarding Grants and Technical Assistance (TA) Grants to support signatories’ implementation activities.

“Signing the Data Sharing Agreement is a critical next step toward full implementation of the Data Exchange Framework by January 2024,” said John Ohanian, chief data officer at CalHHS’ Center for Data Insights and Innovation.

“It’s time to ensure every Californian, no matter where they live, can trust that their doctors, pharmacies, emergency rooms, and social and human services providers can safely and securely access critical patient information — no matter where it is stored — to provide safe, effective, whole-person care,” Ohanian added.