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Welcome to the OHA’s Health Information Technology (IT) eNewsletter! Here you will find updates on health IT in Oregon and at the federal level. For a deeper dive into health IT in Oregon, check out the Policy and Program Updates. If there are specific items you would like to see in this newsletter, please send ideas to HITOC.INFO@odhsoha.oregon.gov.
December Meeting
HITOC’s December 11 meeting has been cancelled. Their next meeting will be February 5, 2026, and will focus on the development of HITOC’s 2026 meeting workplan.
To learn more about HITOC’s work visit their website.
HITOC welcomes your input! To submit public comment for any HITOC meeting, email HITOC.INFO@odhsoha.oregon.gov.
Unite Us Statewide Price Agreement executed in October
OHA is in the process of procuring community information exchange (CIE) to support Oregon's Medicaid Open Card program to support referrals for Health-Related Social Needs under the 1115 Medicaid waiver. In 2026, OHA expects to be in contract with the two vendors used in Oregon, Findhelp and Unite Us.
A major step in this process was achieved in October. The Oregon Department of Administrative Services (DAS) executed a statewide price agreement with Unite Us. This agreement creates a menu of services that all state agencies and Oregon Cooperative Procurement Program (OrCPP) members, such as counties, can procure from. Now that the DAS Unite Us price agreement is in place, OHA can proceed with a Unite Us contract which is expected to be executed in Spring 2026.
DAS is also working to establish a statewide price agreement with Findhelp which is expected in early 2026 followed by OHA’s contract execution by summer.
For more information please see: CIE to Support Oregon's 1115 Medicaid Waiver Informational Brief or contact CIE.info@odhsoha.oregon.gov.
OHA submitted its application for a federal grant program that could bring up to $1 billion in new investment over 5 years to strengthen healthcare in Oregon’s rural and frontier communities.
Through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, Oregon is seeking funding to expand access to care, grow the healthcare workforce, modernize technology and data systems, and invest directly in community-driven prevention and wellness initiatives. The program was established under House Resolution 1, the federal government budget reconciliation bill that was signed into law in July.
Nationwide, the Rural Health Transformation Program will distribute $50 billion between 2026 and 2031. Federal law requires the U.S. government to make program award decisions by Dec. 31.
As we await CMS’s funding decision, OHA is taking proactive steps to prepare for the potential launch of the Rural Health Transformation Program in Oregon. A key part of this effort is the release of a statewide Intent to Apply Survey to gather input from organizations across Oregon that plan to apply for future RHTP funding. Survey responses are due no later than Thursday, December 11, 2025, 11:59 p.m. PST.
Visit OHA Rural Health Transformation Program webpage for more information on the survey and other program details.
Monitoring Federal Changes and Impacts on Oregon
OHA maintains a webpage that lists some of the latest information about federal policy changes and their potential impacts on Oregon. Visit the webpage to learn more.
Have a say in how millions of bonus dollars are awarded for improving healthcare for Oregon Health Plan members
Oregon Health Authority’s Quality Incentive Program gives Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs) bonuses for improving on a set of health care measures. The Metrics and Scoring Committee is a public body that decides which health care measures are in the program.
We are currently looking for all member types for the Committee: health measurement experts, CCO representatives, and members-at-large.
OHA is always accepting applications for the Metrics & Scoring Committee, but only applications submitted by January 12, 2026 will be considered for these openings. You do not need to reapply if you applied within the last two years. If you applied to the Committee over two years ago, please submit a new application. To apply:
- Send a completed application and resume to questions@odhsoha.oregon.gov. Applications are available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, and Simplified Chinese on the committee webpage. Interpretation services are available if necessary.
How to make public comment
OHA’s Health IT committee and workgroup meetings (i.e., HITOC, HITAG) are open to the public, and public comment is always welcome at the meeting during the specified time or in writing at any time. Public comment is an important part of OHA’s committee work and is an opportunity for members of the public to provide input and feedback to the Committee or Workgroup.
Meetings:
Typically, the public comment period is held at the end of each meeting. There may occasionally be more than one comment period. Members of the public are asked to comment or post in the chat only during this period, and to keep verbal comments to about 2 minutes. The public comment period is held solely for the public to share their thoughts with the Committee or Workgroup. Committee members are unlikely to ask questions or respond to public comment directly but consider public comments during committee work. If you know before the meeting that you’d like to provide public comment, you can email HITOC.INFO@odhsoha.oregon.gov to sign up. If you’d like to provide public comment during the meeting, you can message one of the hosts to sign-up. If you are unable to message, please speak up during the open public comment period.
Written Comment:
You can also send written public comment to HITOC.INFO@odhsoha.oregon.gov at any time. To be included in the materials a meeting please submit the comment no less than 2 business days before the intended meeting. Please specify which group it is for – HITOC or HITAG. Written comment is emailed out and posted as part of meeting materials.
Have questions about public comment? We want to hear from you! Please email HITOC.INFO@odhsoha.oregon.gov
Everyone has a right to know about and use Oregon Health Authority (OHA) programs and services. OHA provides free help. Some examples of the free help OHA can provide are:
- CART (live captions)
- Sign language and spoken language interpreters
- Written materials in other languages
- Braille
- Large print
- Audio and other formats
If you need help or have questions, please email HITOC.INFO@odhsoha.oregon.gov or contact (503) 373-7859 at least 48 hours before the meeting. OHA will make every effort to provide services for requests made closer to the meeting.
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