HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Alexandra "Alix" Goss has been named executive director of the Pennsylvania eHealth Partnership Authority by the Authority's Board of Directors.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140122/DC50882)

"This is an exciting time for the Authority as we get ready to stand up the technical framework that enables the secure electronic exchange of information in Pennsylvania," said Gus Geraci, M.D., the Authority's board chair. "Ms. Goss has been working tirelessly on electronic health information exchange (eHIE) in Pennsylvania for more than five years, and the board is pleased to have this continuity in leadership as the Authority moves forward with implementation."

Goss is currently Pennsylvania's Health IT Coordinator and program director for the federal grant that funded the planning and implementation of eHIE in Pennsylvania.

Goss is a recognized leader in healthcare technology. For more than 20 years, she has held leadership roles in developing national healthcare standards, implementing federal regulations, systems integration and operations management in the private and public sectors of health care.

"As the healthcare industry transitions to a new, outcomes-based model, giving providers and patients information when and where they need it to make the best decisions around care, will ultimately improve healthcare outcomes," said Goss. "Secure exchange of healthcare information can also improve community health status and help to lower overall costs. I am pleased in the board's confidence in me and I'm looking forward to moving eHIE forward in Pennsylvania."

Goss joined the Governor's Office in 2008 to develop consensus for the Commonwealth's Health Information Exchange (HIE) strategy with a focus on technical architecture and privacy and security framework. Working with multiple stakeholders, as program director, she guided the development of a strategic plan that the federal Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) approved in the spring 2012. She is responsible for policy development, procurement efforts, legal assessments, education, and outreach activities to achieve the strategic vision and policy defined by the eHIE business drivers.

The PA eHealth Partnership Authority is an independent state agency that is working to meet federal requirements for eHIE in Pennsylvania. eHIE is the electronic movement of health-related information among unaffiliated organizations, according to nationally recognized standards. For more information, visit the PA eHealth Partnership Authority's website at www.paehealth.com.

SOURCE Pennsylvania eHealth Partnership Authority