CT Appoints Health IT Officer, Health Information Exchange Chair

The Connecticut Office of Health Strategy (OHS) has appointed Sumit Sajnani to serve as the state's Health IT Officer (HITO). Sajnani will co-chair the statewide Health IT Advisory Council (HITAC) which focuses on policy recommendations to advance the state's health IT and health information exchange (HIE) efforts.

Sajnani will also chair the board of directors of Connie, the state's official HIE which began operations in May 2021 after several fruitless attempts over the past decade and a half.

"I am looking forward to collaborating with Sumit in his role as the chair of Connie's board of directors," Jenn Searls Executive Director of Connie said. "We are at a pivotal point in the evolution of secure clinical data exchange for Connecticut and Sumit's experience and support will help us advance our mission of enhancing the health and well-being of Connecticut's residents."

Sajnani is a senior executive with a background in IT management and data analytics. Most recently, Sajnani was an infrastructure executive consultant at TechSolutions International.

Previously, Sajnani spent over a decade as an executive Project Manager at the State Department of Corrections where he managed several health IT initiatives.

Sajnani also worked as the senior director of IT and eBusiness at ING Americas, now known as Voya Financial. During his time at ING Americas, he led the creation and execution of IT and eBusiness strategy for US Financial Service Lines. In his earlier career, Sajnani was a manger of information technology at McKinsey.

"I am confident that Sumit's widespread and rich experience working in both state government and the private sector will be an invaluable asset to OHS and for the State of Connecticut, as we collaborate across agencies on the coordination of health IT initiatives," OHS Executive Director Vicki Veltri.

These initiatives include the state’s all-payer claims database and collaboration with the statewide HIE, Veltri noted.

After signing with 25 healthcare providers in February, the Connecticut statewide HIE currently has 44 participants. Major health systems, behavioral health providers, community healthcare centers, physician’s groups, medical practices, and Connecticut’s health and human services agencies are signed onto the HIE.

"Technology and data in the health field continues to grow more important,” said Connecticut's chief information officer Mark Raymond. “I look forward to working with Sumit in undertaking these opportunities.”

“Exciting new additions to state service like this combined with the work we're doing through our IT optimization initiatives will help ensure that our residents' information is as secure as possible, and our services are easy to use,” Raymond continued.

Sajnani noted excitement in fulfilling his new role.

"Bringing together digital and data interoperability will play a pivotal role in promoting efficiency, equal access, and high quality in health care," he said, "I look forward to collaborating with our state agencies, related public entities, and private partners to make a meaningful impact on health outcomes for residents of CT."