Policy & Practice | Fall 2023

at which it is ready to change. This choice will position government to have technology be its partner in the same way our smartphones are our partners at home. Any other choice means we will continue to merely play catch up. This is not a question of whether we should get on this journey. We are on it whether we like it or not. It’s a question of how we will manage the path forward. Molly Tierney is the Managing Director at Accenture for Health and the Public Sector. Services, and Benefit Management Services modules. In the connected Medicaid and human services enterprise, the impacts of each incremental MMISR advancement will have far-reaching benefits for our customers. New Mexico human services employees and partners are looking forward to bringing the last decade of hard work to fruition to drive improved health outcomes for the more than 43 percent of New Mexicans served by HHS 2020 supported programs. 3 Acknowledging that we have a lot of work to do, and realizing that change is never easy, New Mexico HSD and the entire HHS 2020 ecosystem are unraveling the puzzle and investing for tomorrow, while delivering today. Department, Health and Human Services Data Book 2022.2, Program and Services Data, Section 4, https://www.hsd.state.nm .us/2022-data-book/ 2. New Mexico Human Services Department, HHS 2020/MMISR Project Update for the Legislative Science, Technology and Telecommunications (STT) Committee, October 27, 2022, https://www.nmlegis.gov/ 3. New Mexico Human Services Department, HHS 2020/MMISR Project Update for the Legislative Science, Technology and Telecommunications (STT) Committee, October 27, 2022, https://www.nmlegis.gov/ Reference Notes 1. New Mexico Human Services

This presents a challenge unique to the public sector, where technology is rarely replaced or updated. When we are given a chance to make updates, we tend to focus on ways we get things done now—like the process we might use to batch data and process payments—and then we recreate those processes on modern technology. This choice is likely to land us right back where we are today, with technology that is stale and very hard to update. Alternatively, we can act now to leverage modern technology in ways that enable us to keep up with the pace

the ways you use AI now that didn’t exist a decade, or even a year ago. The speed with which this tech will change is going to be unprecedented. What is not possible today will be a reality six weeks from now. Time Now let’s talk about time. It took the collective “we” 40 years to make the journey to smartphones. That is how fast tech was moving then. That does not even begin to describe what will happen next. Tech will improve at a blistering pace from here on out. requirements sessions, supporting user acceptance testing, and more. And with the Spruce-KPMG team joining the project, their strong Medicaid business experience has further energized the on-going BTC discussions. n Proactively tackle data sharing and information security: Without effective data sharing and gover nance, the MMISR vision would be for naught. We are proactively tackling data-sharing challenges such as lack of standardization, the sheer volume and complexity of health care data, and security con siderations. We place the highest priority on information security and the privacy of New Mexicans’ sensi tive health information. n Turning information into insights: HSD has also established a Data Governance Council, with members from across departments, providing leadership and oversight of data related tools and processes sup porting HHS 2020 initiatives. The upcoming implementation of the MMISR Data Services module will provide human services departments and agencies access to a single, authoritative source regarding their collective customers, and the ability to access, analyze, share data, and empower stakeholders in making informed decisions. n Embrace business process trans formation: While data play a NEW MEXICO continued from page 33

As a native New Mexican, I am grateful for the opportunity to

crucial role in informing decision making and optimizing outcomes, the transformation of business processes across the New Mexico human services ecosystem has been equally significant. We are seizing the opportunity to reevaluate and transform processes to align with the goals of enhancing inter-agency collaboration while leveraging the capabilities and potential of modern technologies. Cracking the Code The next two pivotal years will bring the continued rollout of the SI platform and integration of the CCSC, Financial contribute to the transformation of Medicaid that will positively impact so many lives. – PAULA MORGAN, CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER, NEW MEXICO HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT

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