Attachment F3_NASMD cover letter final

[insert date]

Dear [insert recipient name],

I am pleased to announce that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is launching a new three-year initiative titled, Technical Assistance for Health IT and Health Information Exchange in Medicaid and SCHIP.

NASMD supports this effort and is serving as a member of the technical advisory panel for the project. At some point over the course of the project, AHRQ and its contractor, RTI International, will be contacting Medicaid and SCHIP agencies nationwide to conduct a needs assessment to ensure that the technical assistance provided through this project addresses the most pressing areas of need that Medicaid and SCHIP agencies are currently facing in their implementation of Health IT and HIE.

NASMD has high expectations that this initiative will provide much needed technical assistance to agencies in areas where we already know that considerable challenges exist.

We hope that your agency will participate in the needs assessment.

Sincerely,

Barbara Coulter Edwards, Interim Director

National Association of State Medicaid Directors

American Public Human Services Association

810 First Street, NE, Suite 500

Washington, DC 20002