Each of the four consortia will design and implement a standards-based network prototype during the coming year. The prototypes will test patient identification and information locator services; user authentication, access control and other security protections and specialized network functions, as well as test the feasibility of large-scale deployment. The work of the consortia will inform the deliberations of the American Health Information Community (the Community), a new federal advisory committee chaired by Secretary Leavitt, which is charged with providing input to HHS and the industry on how to make health records digital and interoperable.

The consortia will share ideas and information about the architecture and prototypes with each other and with the public in order to accelerate secure and seamless exchange of health information across the nation. Once created, the architecture design for each of the networks will be placed in the public domain to stimulate others to develop further innovative approaches to implementing health information technology.


The NHIN consortia will work closely with other HHS partners, including the Health Information Technology Standards Panel established by the American National Standards Institute, the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology, and the Health Information Security and Privacy Collaboration established by RTI and the National Governor's Association.

The four Nationwide Health Information Network Consortia consist of the following organizations:

* Accenture, working with Apelon, Cisco, CGI-AMS, Creative Computing Solutions, eTech Security Pro, Intellithought, Lucent Glow, Oakland Consulting Group, Oracle, and Quovadx. This group will work with the following health market areas: Eastern Kentucky Regional Health Community (Kentucky); CareSpark (Tennessee); and West Virginia eHealth Initiative (West Virginia)
* CSC, working with Browsersoft, Business Networks International, Center for Information Technology Leadership, Connecting for Health, DB Consulting Group, eHealth Initiative, Electronic Health Record Vendors Association, Microsoft, Regenstrief Institute, SiloSmashers, and Sun Microsystems. This group will work with the following health market areas: Indiana Health Information Exchange (Indiana); MA-SHARE (Massachusetts); and Mendocino HRE (California)
* IBM, working with Argosy, Business Innovation, Cisco, HMS Technologies, IDL Solutions, Ingenium, and VICCS. This group will work with the following health market areas: Taconic Health Information Network and Community (New York); North Carolina Healthcare Information and Communications Alliance (Research Triangle, North Carolina); and North Carolina Healthcare Information and Communications Alliance (Rockingham County, North Carolina)

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