Optimizing IT Governance: Strategic Management for Behavioral Health EHRs

1. Series 2: Project ManagementAdvanced Project Management for Behavioral Health Electronic Health Records (EHRs) From the CIHS Video Series “Ten Minutes at a Time” 9/2013

2. Module 5 – Information Technology (IT) Governance Overview • Key Terms • Laying the organizational foundation • Creating the Information Technology (IT) Governance team • Using the IT Governance Structure • Additional Resources

3. Key Terms… • IT Governance: Executive level/Committee structure for aligning the information technology strategy with the organization’s business strategy; monitors progress by evaluating achievement of specific milestones; it establishes lines of responsibility and accountability at the onset of the project. • Opportunity Cost: In economic theory, the cost of selecting a course of action in a situation where a choice needs to be made between several mutually exclusive alternatives, given limited resources. It is the value of the best (that is, the most lucrative) alternative course of action that is not chosen. Herman, D., Scalzi, G. and Kropf, R. (2011). “IT Governance Best Practices.” Retrieved April 2013 from http://www.aspenadvisors.net/results/whitepaper/it-governance-best-practices

4. The IT Governance Structure • Three committees, each composed of teams responsible for implementing the project • Leadership from each team meets regularly as a cross-seated Steering Committee Cross-Seated Steering Committee Representationfrom the Board of Directors

5. Strategic Committee Strategic Committee • Role • Leads the development of and approves the vision. • Approves the budget (so must include regular input from Finance). • Sets key IT project priorities through the Project Charter. • Endorses IT project principles and policies. • Resolves organization-wide strategic IT issues. • Establishes accountability. • Responsibility • Decisions about IT principles, investment and prioritization based on input from Operational and Technical committees (via the cross-seated Steering Committee)

6. Information Technology Committee Information Technology Committee • Role • Confirms project IT hardware, software and staffing requirements. • Ensures IT investment is consistent with these requirements and the project goals and objectives. • Identifies best practices. • Makes recommendations related to implementing policies and regulations in an electronic environment. • Identifies IT-related opportunities and maximizes benefits. • Ensures that IT resources are used effectively and efficiently. • Responsibility • Decisions about IT principles, investment and prioritization based on input from Operational and Strategic committees (via the cross-seated Steering Committee

7. Operations Committee • Role • Recommends IT priorities, aligned with strategic direction, technical resources and project time, cost and scope. • Implements project plan • Fosters coordination and collaboration. • Ensures quality improvement. • Establishes measurement criteria for managing risk and auditing performance (time-cost-scope). Operations Committee • Responsibility • Guides IT project plan implementation, based on input from Strategic and Technical committees, and Clinical Services Leadership

8. Cross-Seated Steering Committee • Comprised of leadership from each committee • Meet regularly (recommend once a week) to monitor and control the project • Meet with the expressed purpose of monitoring and controlling the EHR implementation project • Only the Steering Committee has the authority to modify constraints around Time, Cost and Scope. • If one constraint expands, all constraints expand. Steering Committee

9. Initial Tasks • Seat the IT Governance Steering Committee, selecting the directors/managers from information technology, operations and administration for this role, to plan and execute the initial tasks – The Project Charter and Statement of Work. • Use Project Planning guidance and templates available through Modules 1-5 • Ensure funding for discovery phase of project start-up – this should be an amount sufficient to bring the organization to the point of selecting an EHR business • Identify competing internal projects - ensure that this project has high level, visible executive leadership support in the organization

10. Summary • The IT Governance Structure is the vehicle for ensuring effectuve and efficient use of IT – it can be used for planning and implementing “Meaningful Use” if an EHR system is already in place • The Executive Leadership must visibly support the project along with the IT Governance committees, acknowledging the “Opportunity Cost” and necessary investment of organizational resources • The IT Governance Structure must be actively used, with regular meetings conducted as their own activity. Committee leaders must be empowered to identify resources and manage their budgets

11. We Have Solutions for Integrating Primary and Behavioral Healthcare Contact CIHS for all types of primary and behavioral health care integration technical assistance and training needs 1701 K Street NW, Ste 400 Washington DC 20006 Web: www.integration.samhsa.gov Email: integration@thenationalcouncil.org Phone: 202-684-7457 Prepared and presented by Colleen O’Donnell, MSW, PMP, CHTS-IM for the Center for Integrated Health Solutions