eBlast Newsletter

October 2024
Medium
October 2024
ndhin

October 2024

Gov. Burgum Proclaims October 2024 as Cybersecurity Awareness Month in North Dakota: NDIT Highlights Online Safety

Proclamation Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Gov. Doug Burgum has proclaimed October 2024 as Cybersecurity Awareness Month in North Dakota to encourage residents and businesses around the state to safeguard their digital environments against sophisticated and widespread threats.

The proclamation coincides with National Cybersecurity Awareness Month from The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA).

Every Wednesday in October you can catch a member of the North Dakota Information Technology (NDIT) cybersecurity team on KFYR's North Dakota Today show.  Tune in as they shared essential cybersecurity tips and best practices. You can watch each segment on KFYR's website. Throughout the month they will feature weekly security awareness tips and informational articles on the NDIT website and social media channels!

In our September eBlast we shared how NDHIN can be of great benefit in response to disasters.  One type of disaster is a cyber-attack.  Having a Disaster Recovery Plan in place is vital should this occur at your facility.  NDHIN can be very valuable to those providing care should you experience a cyber-attack that causes loss of access to your EHR.   Check out our Disaster Recovery Use Case here that describes that scenario. 

We encourage you to ensure your data is protected to reduce or prevent cyber-attacks by conducting regular security audits. 

"Data is protection: The only vaccine is cyber threats"  -Unknown

Health Information Exchanges Play a Pivotal Role in Reducing Unnecessary ED Visits and Enhancing Patient Care.

Reducing Emergency Department (ED) use is a multi-faceted, multi-system endeavor. The best first or next step you can do is assure that you have access to and are effectively utilizing your State’s Health Information Exchange (HIE) program.

Health Information Exchange (HIE) refers to the electronic sharing of health-related information among various healthcare organizations. This can include hospitals, primary care providers, specialists, and other healthcare entities. The core objective of HIE is to ensure that the right information is available to the right person at the right time, which can significantly improve the quality and efficiency of care. By facilitating the seamless sharing of patient data across healthcare settings, HIE can play a pivotal role in reducing unnecessary Emergency Department (ED) visits and enhancing overall patient care.

pharmOctober is American Pharmacists Month!

This year’s American Pharmacists Month (APhM) theme is Caring for Our Communities, which reflects the fundamental commitment each and every pharmacist makes.

Pharmacists and pharmacy staff play a crucial role in healthcare.  According to Eyecon Rx, "Pharmacists are often the first point of contact for patients, offering expertise that helps manage chronic diseases, provide medication therapy, and offer immunizations."  Understanding this makes it increasingly important for pharmacists to have access to relevant patient information. There are several pharmacy users of NDHIN that utilize it as a part of their day-to-day work. We asked a couple of them to share their experience with us this month, and this is what they had to say.

"Having access to patient labs when we need them is really the most impactful benefit day to day.  Medication therapy is increasingly chronic and increasingly complex,  so providing modern care to our communities often depends on having the right clinical data available—and NDHIN makes it possible." -Jesse Rue, PharmD, BCPS, Heart of America Medical Center.

"Access to patient information can be a challenge in community pharmacy as most pharmacies in North Dakota are independently owned and operated and not integrated with the EHRs of other healthcare providers in our communities. My work involves providing clinical services such as comprehensive medication management, chronic disease management and prevention, and immunizations, all of which need access to health information. The NDHIN is thus a helpful resource that I use to provide patient care." -Jayme Steig, PharmD RPh, CPHQ, North Dakota State University.

 

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Welcome to NDHIN: New Participants Spotlight

NDHIN would like to welcome our newest participant!

  • Tri-Care Home Health

  • Mohall Ambulance Service

  • Kalix

Reminders!

Help Us Stay Up to Date.

ReminderWhen there are role changes within your organization, please contact NDHIN to ensure we have the most up to date information listed for your organization. This ensures we are able to communicate effectively for audits, invoices and concerns regarding your organization.

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Need assistance?..... Password Reset?

If you are having ‘Issues’ with use of the NDHIN Clinical Portal or other services, please contact the NDHIN Help Desk.  

The NDHIN Help Desk is available 24/7 to assist you with password resets, technical issues, and other service questions.

NDHIN Help Desk 

Call (844)335-6253 ext. 1 or email NDHINSupport@koblegroup.com 

Reach Out To US!

Health IT Provider Relations and Privacy Coordinator

Brandy Schmaltz: bschmaltz@nd.gov          

NDHIN Outreach Coordinators

Tracey Regimbal: tracey.regimbal@healthtechsolutions.com 

Rachel Goble: rachel.goble@healthtechsolutions.com 

Lisa Thorp: lisa.thorp@healthtechsolutions.com