Children’s Information Tennessee (CIT) is a multi-department initiative linking demographic and program participation information on children with special healthcare needs in a central database system managed by the Department of Health. The departments of Health, Children’s Services, Human Services, and Education and TennCare have entered into a formal agreement to provide information on their clients to the Health Department managed CIT system. CIT provides the information infrastructure for two initiatives: care coordination and research.
Fashioning a formal agreement in a “Memorandum of Understanding” acceptable to participating departments and agencies and their legal advisors was a challenge. The commitment and support of senior departmental management and community agencies to the creation of CIT sustained the process. An infrastructure of workgroups was used to cover critical components of CIT and foster broad participation in the design and decision making process. Negotiation and compromise where part of every step of the process which crafted everything from goals and objectives and practical implementation strategies and procedures. To share what we have learned in creating CIT, specific decisions compromises and key implementation strategies will be described in detail.
Learning Objectives: Participants in this session will be able to: 1. Articulate the primary goal of CIT. 2. Describle the value of a formal "Memorandum of Understanding" 3. List at least two compromises agreed to during the planning of CIT.
Keywords: Children With Special Needs, Internet
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Tennessee Department of Health
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Employee,Tennessee Department of Health