About

In Fiscal Year 2006, the Center for Rural Health Research and Education at the University of Wyoming received a Health Information Security and Privacy Collaboration (HISPC) grant from the federal Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) through a contract with Research Triangle Institute (RTI). The goal of the project was to study and resolve the privacy and security questions affecting the exchange of electronic health information in Wyoming. In Fiscal Year 2007, AHRQ extended the HISPC project and provided funding to implement proposed solutions. The Wyoming HISPC team proposed the implementation of the Wyoming Health Information Resource (WYHIR), a solution offered by Wyoming stakeholders to address the variations in organization-level health information exchange business practices. The WYHIR’s primary objectives are to:

  • Provide Wyoming health care professionals with information to aid in health information exchange decisions, including clear and concise explanations of laws affecting health information exchanges;
  • Coordinate research and education to address barriers to health information exchange;
  • Act as a clearinghouse for education and training on federal and state laws affecting health information exchange.

The WYHIR is a collaborative project between the University of Wyoming , Center for Rural Health Research and Education (CRHRE), Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center (WYSAC), the Wyoming Health Information Organization (WYHIO), and over one-hundred volunteer stakeholders who devoted countless hours to helping us understand the problems associated with health information exchange in Wyoming.

The WYHIR’s content was developed by Rex Gantenbein, Director of the Center for Rural Health Research and Education; Fran Cadez, Attorney at Law; Debbie Hall, administrator of the Cheyenne Surgical Center; Larry Biggio, Director of the Wyoming Health Information Organization; and Ryan Sandefer, Assistant Research Scientist at the Center for Rural Health Research and Education.