Health and Community Services

News Features

• New York City, London Announce "Innovation Exchange" Program
  

  New York and London exchange program designed to share best practices in government innovation such as making government more transparent, accountable, accessible and efficient, with an emphasis on public safety and emergency management.

• Facebook, Attorneys General Announce Agreement to Make Site Safer for Kids
  

  Changes include restricting the ability of users to change their listed ages, acting more aggressively to remove inappropriate content and groups from the site and requiring third party vendors to adhere to Facebook's safety and privacy guidelines.

• E-Vote: California Unveils Downloadable Audio Version of Voter Information Guide
  

  "It will be a real boon to voters who are visually impaired."

• New York City Expands 311 to Include Human Services
  

  "One of the great benefits of 311 is that it's available all the time ... and if it can be such a useful and powerful tool in repairing potholes and fixing traffic lights, it could do an equally effective job helping people in need."

• Wayne County, Mich., Opens Food Assistance Change Reporting Center
  

  "By centralizing the change reporting, we can improve our accuracy and timelines to help eligible families receive benefits for which they qualify."

• Using the Internet to Physically Harm
  

  People with epilepsy were singled out in an online assault.

• Cutting Edge EMS Technology to Improve Patient Care
  

  Wireless tool speeds communication, monitors symptoms.

• Congressional Hearing Simulcast in an Internet-based Virtual World
  

  "Good Morning. I'd like to welcome everybody today to the first simulcast of a Congressional hearing in a virtual world. A re-creation of this committee hearing room has been developed in Second Life and my avatar is there as well, in the virtual chairman's seat."

• New York Awards $105 Million in Health IT Grants
  

  "Electronic health records will begin to repair our fragmented delivery system by making sure that accurate patient information is quickly available so that we can improve health care quality and efficiency."

• Pennsylvania Creates Health Information Exchange
  

  Will provide the information technology architecture to support statewide interoperable electronic health records and electronic prescribing by sharing data that is captured at the point of care in a physician office or hospital.

Member News

State of Minnesota Signs Agreement with Microsoft for Single Email System

The State of Minnesota has signed an agreement with Microsoft to provide a single email and calendaring system for the entire executive branch.

Microsoft and Illinois State Police Collaborate on Best Practices and Information Technology Architecture for Homeland Security Fusion Centers

Architecture to be a model for agencies and departments across all jurisdictions.

Smead Debuts Records Management System for Health and Human Services

The system is designed to help case file workers, supervisors and administrators maintain control of case loads.

Digital Communities Members