|
Can’t access the links? Add “lnks.gd” to the allowlist of your content blocking software. |
|
|
Dear HCMACS Program partners,
As we enter February, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the Governor’s proposed budget and what it means for the Health Care Management and Coordination System (HCMACS) Program. The budget reflects the dynamic fiscal and policy environment we are operating within and underscores the importance of ensuring that HCMACS remains both sustainable and well-aligned with the state’s long-term goals for care coordination, public safety, and patient outcomes.
In response, the HCMACS Program is engaged in a period of careful review and validation. This work is intentional and deliberate. Our focus is on ensuring that the path forward—whatever form it ultimately takes—is technically sound, fiscally responsible, and continues to meet the needs of the agencies and individuals we serve.
A key part of this effort involves ongoing discussions with our program and project governance, Office of Financial Management (OFM), Epic, and the University of Washington. These conversations are helping us better understand a range of implementation, hosting, and partnership scenarios, as well as the operational and governance implications associated with each. At the same time, we are revalidating agency minimum requirements to ensure that the system’s scope, functionality, and priorities remain aligned with current and future needs across participating agencies.
We are also taking a fresh look at hosting and platform options. This includes reassessing prior assumptions, considering alternative architectures, and ensuring that security, scalability, and operational resilience remain central to any decision.
Another important area of analysis is confirming the benefits of maintaining our own Epic instance versus leveraging a shared instance model. This evaluation goes beyond cost alone and includes considerations such as configurability, agency autonomy, long-term flexibility, implementation risk, and the ability to support complex workflows across corrections, behavioral health, and community-based care settings.
In parallel, we are validating cost assumptions to ensure that estimates accurately reflect the evolving scope and delivery options under discussion. This includes examining both upfront and ongoing costs, understanding tradeoffs, and identifying opportunities to maximize value while maintaining program integrity. We are also exploring other innovative approaches and complementary technologies that could enhance care coordination and support program goals.
While this work takes time, it is essential to building a defensible, durable, and well-informed path forward. Our commitment remains the same: to advance HCMACS in a way that improves patient safety, supports clinicians, and delivers meaningful outcomes for the state.
We will continue to share updates as these discussions progress. If there are specific questions or areas where additional detail would be helpful, please let me know.
To help address questions, HCMACS Program plans to present at WaTech’s Technology Services Board on February 12th at 11:15 a.m. In addition, we have developed a set of frequently asked questions (FAQ) that provide additional clarity on the current status of the program, what we know today, what is still being evaluated, and what to expect in the coming months. These FAQs are intended to be transparent, practical, and responsive to the areas of greatest interest and concern.
Read the FAQs online or at the end of this newsletter.
Thank you,
Carrie
|
|
|
HCMACS Program Executive Steering Committee Meetings
February 2
February 18
HHS Coalition Governance G2 Meetings
February 13
Technology Services Board
February 12
HCMACS Weekly PMO Workgroup
Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m.
Thursdays at noon
|
|
HCMACS Weekly Program Technical and Data Workgroup
Tuesdays at 1 p.m.
HCMACS Biweekly Budget Workgroup
February 11
February 25
HCMACS Biweekly Communications Meetings
February 18
February 26
HCMACS Financial Leadership Meetings
February 2
|
|
Department of Corrections updates
This month DOC made progress in our engagement and outreach efforts for the EHR implementation project. The team created a staff registry for DOC employees who are interested in being involved with the project, and have begun compiling names of those who have volunteered during site visits and in other settings. The EHR project also successfully completed our final two site visits that had to be postponed due to weather at Olympic Correctional Center and Clallam Bay Correction Center.
Looking ahead to February, we will begin outreach to county jails to better understand their current health care records ecosystem and how they anticipate engaging with us during the rollout of the electronic health records implementation.
If you have questions, comments or would like to be included in the EHR staff registry, we would welcome you to reach out to the EHR project team.
DSHS updates
In alignment with HCMACS, our team is actively addressing Governor Ferguson’s proposed budget impacts on DSHS and HCMACS by developing a Contingency Plan Playbook. While we await final budget decisions, the EHR Project Team and workgroups are focused on efforts that include standardization, workflow documentation, and preparation for the Epic Foundational System implementation. This involves capturing and validating business requirements and ensuring seamless communication across HCMACS.
Technology efforts include documenting interfaces and integrations, and ensuring ADA compliance and EHR Wi-Fi support, in collaboration with BHHA IT. Though the project schedule is on hold pending budget clarification, we are advancing Jira project management software capabilities. Our OCM work includes launching a BHHA EHR Communications Workgroup at Wave 1 facilities and continuing with our monthly EHR Project Team Update Meeting and newsletter.
We welcome your questions and comments at EHRLeadership@dshs.wa.gov.
HCA updates
The HCA project is on hold pending final budget direction. If the final budget includes HCA providers, HCMACS will re-launch governance, meetings, and efforts.
|
|
|
This FAQ is intended to provide legislators, stakeholders, and the public with clear, up-to-date information regarding the current budget proposal, what is known and unknown at this stage, and the steps underway to validate options and finalize decisions.
Please refer to HCMACS Program website and previously approved planning documents for more detailed information on strategy and implementation planning.
|
|
1. What is the current status of the budget?
The Governor’s proposed budget reflects a reduced scope and a shift in funding assumptions for the FY27. While funding is included to sustain certain program activities in the near term, longer-term funding and program structure decisions are still under legislative consideration.
At this stage, the budget proposal represents a starting point for legislative deliberations, not a final decision.
2. What does the proposed budget include for SFY27?
For SFY27, the Governor’s proposed budget:
- Directs the University of Washington (UW) to be the lead agency for a statewide EHR effort, with an appropriation.
- Funds electronic health records (EHR) projects for Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) and Department of Corrections (DOC) based on their SFY27 decision package requests (approximately $11.8 million for DSHS and $9.2 million for DOC).
- Does not include funding for Health Care Authority’s (HCA) EHR project or the HCMACS program at HCA.
- Provides $9.5m to UW.
- Is funded entirely with State General Fund dollars, with no federal match included (see question 6).
3. What do we know for certain right now?
- Funding is available to continue current operations through the end of the current fiscal year.
- The proposed budget reflects an intent to reduce overall costs to the state.
- Agencies have been asked to continue assessing viable paths forward.
4. What is not yet decided?
- Final funding levels for FY27.
- Long-term lead agency or governance structure.
- State of Washington standalone Epic version versus a platform with the University of Washington.
- Final scope and implementation timeline.
5. Does this mean the HCMACS program is ending?
No. While the proposed budget reflects a shift in scope and governance, the work underway is focused on preserving the core goals of enterprise coordination, patient safety, and system interoperability, while reassessing how best to deliver those outcomes within current fiscal constraints.
6. Why is there no federal Medicaid match included in the SFY27 proposal?
The Governor’s proposed SFY27 budget does not assume a federal Medicaid match due to the expected scope reduction. While federal funding can reduce state costs, there is additional concern about over-reliance on federal funds.
7. What work is happening while the budget is under consideration?
Agencies are actively working to provide decision-makers with comprehensive information, including revalidating requirements, reviewing cost assumptions, evaluating alternative platforms, and assessing feasibility, risks, and benefits of various approaches including:
- Validating whether UW’s system can meet DSHS and DOC requirements, including clinical, operational, and technical needs.
- Evaluating total cost and long-term sustainability of a UW-led approach.
- Assessing alternatives and tradeoffs to determine the best path forward.
- Maximizing value to the state while minimizing costs, consistent with the Governor’s budget direction.
8. Why is additional assessment necessary?
Assessment ensures any future approach is technically feasible, meets agency needs, protects patient safety and data integrity, represents responsible use of public funds, and can be implemented within realistic timeframes.
9. When will a final budget be known?
The final budget is expected at the conclusion of the legislative session in March. More definitive direction is anticipated once the enacted budget is signed.
10. Will this budget uncertainty cause delays?
Yes. While the program has experienced schedule impacts, agencies are working to minimize further delays by continuing planning and assessment work during the legislative process.
11. How are agencies coordinating during this period?
Agencies continue to collaborate through established governance structures and regular coordination meetings to ensure alignment and consistent communication.
12. How will the Legislature and public be kept informed?
Updates will be provided through legislative briefings, written status updates, and continued engagement with oversight and advisory bodies.
13. What is the overarching goal during this period of uncertainty?
The goal is to preserve core objectives, protect prior investments, ensure continuity of critical services, and identify a sustainable, cost-effective path forward.
14. Where can additional questions be directed?
Email: Carrie Paykoc, HCMACS Executive Program Director
Additional updates will be provided as new information becomes available.
|
|
|
Health Care Management and Coordination System (HCMACS) is an integrated, enterprise-wide Electronic Health Record (EHR) solution that will help unify care delivery across multiple state agencies, Tribes, public health institutions, and community-based providers.
Check out our Roadmap to learn more about the implementation and approach.
|
|
|
|
|
