Data Sharing Agreement (DSA): Signatory Grant Applications Now Open; QHIOs Soon to Follow

On May 16 the CalHHS Center for Data Insights and Innovation (CDII) opened the first round of applications for the DSA Signatory Grant Program through the Data Exchange Framework (DxF) Grant Portal. This first round runs through June 17 and is limited to required DSA signatories who are mandated to begin exchanging or making health information available by January 31, 2024. Manifest MedEx encourages all required signatories who need technical support or capabilities to meet their DSA obligations—including hospitals, ambulatory providers, and health plans—to learn more about the grant opportunity by viewing the recent CDII town hall and our earlier webinar. We also recommend that interested signatories review the Application Template, detailed Grant Guidance Document, and short portal tutorial video produced by CDII. Note: If you are a current participant of Manifest MedEx and currently share all required clinical data through our HIE, you may be ineligible for the DSA signatory grants.

Closely related and on the heels of the Grant Program’s launch will be another crucial DxF milestone: the application and selection of Qualified Health Information Organizations (QHIOs). QHIOs will be designated by CDII as having demonstrated their ability to meet DxF requirements and assist signatories to comply with the DSA. They are also one of the main technology solutions eligible for DSA Signatory Grant funding to cover the initial costs of onboarding and implementation.

Manifest MedEx fully intends to become a QHIO this year. We are confident we will meet all final organizational and functional requirements, which we strongly believe should include rigorous security, financial stability, infrastructure, and capabilities to reflect the trust that signatories will place in QHIOs to appropriately manage millions of Californians’ protected health information. We recently submitted public comments to CDII on the draft QHIO application and policy along with a letter from our CEO Erica Galvez highlighting these important concepts. Our overarching recommendation is for CDII to require QHIOs to be non-profit health data utilities, which are mission-driven to serve every DSA signatory that must rely on a digital health data safety net.

Follow us on social media @ManifestMedEx and visit our DxF Resources Page to stay up to date on future webinars and materials covering the QHIO and DSA Signatory Grant Programs.