P01 - DRAFT SOW - The Sequoia Project Membership.docx

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration Digital Health Office (DHO) Office of Clinical Informatics (OCI) Veterans Health Information Exchange (VHIE)

The Sequoia Project Membership

FY25

1. Introduction: The Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Clinical Informatics (OCI), Veterans Health Information Exchange (VHIE) directorate, requires membership to The Sequoia Project professional organization. See: https://sequoiaproject.org/.

2. Background: Over 70% of Veterans who receive health care from Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) also receive care in the private sector—much of this care is paid for by VA. To facilitate the best health care for Veterans, VA must remain on the forefront of the interoperability industry alongside leaders like The Sequoia Project. The Veterans Health Information Exchange (VHIE) program, a VA program to support secure, electronic exchange of health information, has three (3) products: 1) VA Exchange where a VA user queries non-VA partners to obtain Veteran health information in real time, 2) VA Direct Messaging which allows point-to-point, email-like sharing of health information, and 3) Registries where VHA exchanges data including but not limited to immunizations, monitored prescription drugs, etc. with federal, state, and local jurisdictions.

In 2012, The Sequoia Project was chartered as a non-profit 501(c)(3) to advance the implementation of secure, interoperable nationwide health information exchange. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, transitioned management of its eHealth Exchange to The Sequoia Project for maintenance. Since 2012, the Exchange has grown to become the largest health information exchange network in the country. In 2014, The Sequoia Project began to support additional interoperability initiatives beginning with Carequality. In 2016, The Sequoia Project partnered with RSNA to develop the RSNA Image Share Validation program. Then, in 2017, The Sequoia Project began supporting the Patient Unified Lookup System for Emergencies (PULSE), which can be made available in any geographic area to support healthcare professionals and first responders caring for displaced individuals or volunteer healthcare workers who are deployed to a disaster area outside of their normal health IT environment.

In 2018, The Sequoia Project updated its corporate structure to reflect the continued maturation of the organization and the significantly larger role that The Sequoia Project plays as the central convener for interoperability. The updated corporate structure resulted in The Sequoia Project having two distinct subsidiaries, one for eHealth Exchange and one for Carequality. Following the reorganization, The Sequoia Project continues to bring together industry and government to transparently and inclusively develop solutions to the most pressing challenges of health data exchange.

The Sequoia Project is a neutral body, inclusive of diverse participants, allowing it to create practical solutions to data exchange problems. As a nonprofit operating in the public interest, The Sequoia Project’s governance process insures transparent oversight of this work. The Sequoia Project vision is to make the right health information accessible at the right place and time to improve the health and welfare of all Americans.

3. Scope of Work:

The Sequoia Project membership benefits shall include:

a. Virtual and in-person member-only events

b. Access to educational webinars

c. Participation in Interoperability Matters work groups

d. Priority for leadership in workgroups and pilots

e. Access to Information Blocking Compliance Toolkit

f. Eligibility to serve on The Sequoia Project Board of Directors

g. Eligibility to nominate and vote in The Sequoia Project Board elections

h. Voting rights to Interoperability Matters Leadership Matters Leadership Council.

i. Access to The Sequoia Project members-only resources (e.g. Information Blocking).

j. Discount registration to The Sequoia Project Annual Meeting

k. Access to The Sequoia Project Testing Platform, to include:

1. Free access to C-CDA content tool and validation of 1st 10 data sources;

2. 20% discount off transport testing tool annual subscription.

l. Access to quarterly webinars.

4. Section 508: Section 508 text is available at: http://www.opm.gov/HTML/508-textOfLaw.htm; http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Content&ID=14

5. Period of performance: One (1) year, plus four (4) option years to be exercised at the Government’s discretion.

6. Place of Performance: Contractor’s facility.