The grant, from RTI International in partnership with the National Governor's Association Center for Best Practices, is to study health information privacy and security issues, and to ensure that electronic health information exchange processes protect an individuals' privacy.
"This project will help ensure Kansans' personal health information is kept secure and private while going through the health care system," Sebelius said. "Keeping medical records secure is something I focused on while insurance commissioner and this grant will support our ongoing efforts to protect medical privacy."
The effort is part of a broad Health Information Exchange initiative under way by the Governor's Health Care Cost Containment Commission.
The Kansas project team is being led by Lieutenant Governor John Moore, chair of the Governor's Health Care Cost Containment Commission, in partnership with the Kansas Health Institute.
Other partners in this public-private collaborative include the Kansas University Center for Healthcare Informatics, the Mid-America Coalition on Health Care, state agencies, provider associations, the business community, and consumer groups.
"This assessment is critical to interoperable health information exchange efforts in Kansas and at the national level," said Moore. "Interoperable health information exchange has the potential to dramatically improve health care quality and safety and help stem rising health care costs while at the same time ensuring patient privacy. Another important goal is to provide consumers access to their own health care information so they can make informed choices."
Kansas is among 34 states awarded grants through a competitive process to assess how existing regulations, privacy and security policies and business practices might affect the creation and operation of interoperable health information exchange.
This state assessment project is part of a national contract given to RTI in October 2005 by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
