3 Areas State & Local Agencies Are Looking to Transform IT and Healthcare Management

by Rachel Eckert, Senior Analyst

In this new resource-constrained environment of “doing more with less,” state and local governments must find ways to increase delivery of Health & Human Services (HHS) to citizens without a corresponding increase to their budget. As state budgets continue to recover from the crippling 2008 recession, HHS agencies – while still holding a dominating share of the budget – are being encouraged to reform their approach to IT and healthcare management.  As such, states are looking to the COTs community to help them transform IT and Healthcare Management in three core areas:

1. Increasing Collaboration
   Historically, HHS agencies work in parallel, but often not in partnership. Activities are carried out in silos, resulting in redundancies. Government and non-profit organizations often work on similar initiatives but rarely coordinate or collaborate. Collaborating with both non-profit organizations and vendor partners can help state HHS agencies leverage pooled resources to deliver more without necessarily spending more.
2. Aggregating Enterprise Data
   Maintaining multiple systems that track similar information is not only costly to maintain but is also an inefficient use of resources. Consolidating health data into one enterprise system allows a state to replace and/or decommission legacy systems. An added benefit to an enterprise system is the ability of the state to use economies of scale – replacing legacy systems with a more strategic, scalable solution. Knowing what health data a state owns allows for more effective planning for future HHS needs.
3. Utilizing Analytics
   States are collecting and aggregating enormous amounts of health, benefits, and insurance data, but struggle to extract actionable intelligence from this data. COTS vendors and their partners have the power to analyze and interpret a state’s data to improve the effectiveness of their HHS programs and resources. Beyond the day-to-day, states can leverage these analytical tools to predict major trauma events and improve the state’s response.

To learn more about State and Local sales opportunities for COTS vendors within HHS, view the on-demand webinar from July 15. You will hear details on funding sources, program drivers, and key decision makers tied to future sales opportunities in HHS.