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QHIN Application, Onboarding, and Designation Process

QHIN™ Application, Onboarding, and Designation Phases

The prospective QHIN™ Application, Onboarding, and Designation process has been divided into a series of five phases. Each phase is explained in detail below. If you have questions regarding the Application, Onboarding, or Designation process please feel free to contact us at rce@sequoiaproject.org. Additional resources can be found here.

Phase 0Pre-application

Step 1: Materials review

Applicant reviews QHIN™ Onboarding and Designation SOP and RCE™ Communication Protocols.

Step 2: Notification of Intent to Apply

Applicant notifies RCE™ of their intent to apply, as instructed in the QHIN™ Onboarding & Designation SOP.

Step 3: Application Materials

RCE provides applicant with required documents, including:

Step 4: Individual Meetings with Applicants

The RCE™ will schedule a virtual consultation with the entity to review the Eligibility Requirements, Onboarding process documents, and answer any clarifying questions.

Step 5: Pre-application Testing

Applicants are encouraged but not required to successfully pass testing via the test platform outlined in Part 4, Section III of the QHIN™ Onboarding & Designation SOP prior to submitting their QHIN™ Application to mitigate the risk of delay in the Conformance Testing Process related to the system under test.

Phase 1 Application Submission

Days 1 – 30 from date of submission*

Step 1: Submit Application

Applicant submits online application and signed Common Agreement and Means to Demonstrate U.S. Ownership and Control of a QHIN™ SOP Questionnaire (If not previously submitted) to RCE™ for review.
Submit QHIN™ Application

Application Verification

Application Complete

RCE™ verifies that the application is complete and contains all necessary information.

Application Incomplete

RCE™ notifies the applicant within thirty (30) calendar days of receipt of the application what information is required to make the application complete.

Step 2: Completion Notification

RCE™ notifies applicant in writing that its application is complete, and Applicant now proceeds to Phase 2.

Phase 2 Application Review

Up to 60 days following Phase 1 Step 2: Completion Notification*

Application Verification

Application Denied

RCE™ notifies applicant that the application has been denied.

Note: If an application is denied, the applicant can reapply six months after the date shown on the notice of denial.

Application Accepted for Testing

RCE™ notifies applicant that their application has been accepted for testing, and provides information on next steps. Applicant proceeds to Phase 3.

Issues Found

RCE™ notifies applicant of issues/discrepancies with application. Applicant has 10 business days to send a satisfactory response.

Note: Applicants that do not satisfactorily respond within 10 business days are automatically withdrawn. Applicants that are withdrawn can reapply six months after the date on which its previous application was submitted.

Phase 3 Pre-Production Testing Process and Project Plan Completion

Up to 12 months to complete following application accepted for testing*

Step 1: Non-production system configuration

Applicants accepted for testing must complete technical prerequisites prior to beginning Conformance Testing and Non-Production Partner Testing. RCE™ will verify that the entry for the organization in the directory is complete, with proper certificate bound to endpoints and refer applicant to Conformance Testing.

Step 2: Conformance Testing

The Conformance Testing Process is intended to be a largely automated process augmented by minimal manual review to verify conformance of systems and technology used by applicants.

Step 3: Non-production Partner Testing

Each prospective QHIN™ will complete a series of non-production tests against the test instances of other QHIN™ gateways. Prospective QHINs are responsible for conducting partner tests with all other QHINs.

Testing and Project Plan Verification

Testing and Project Plan Not Completed

Applicants who fail to complete all necessary testing and project plan steps within 12 months will be denied QHIN™ Designation status.
Note: If QHIN™ Designation status is denied, applicants must wait 12 months from status denial date to reapply.

Testing and Project Plan Complete

RCE™ verifies that the applicant has completed all necessary steps within the testing and project plan process.

 

RCE™ notifies applicant that all testing requirements have been met, and provides information on next steps. Applicant proceeds to Phase 4.

Phase 4 Designation and Post-Production Testing

Step 1: Countersigned Common Agreement

RCE™ determines whether all requirements for Designation have been completed and countersigns the Common Agreement.

Step 2: QHIN Designation

RCE™ provides the applicant with RCE’s written Designation determination indicating that the applicant has been Designated by the RCE™, and the QHIN™ may configure its production system for connectivity.

Step 3: Added to Production Directory

Newly designated QHIN™ is given access to the production directory. QHINs™ are then responsible for initiating a Production Connectivity Validation test within 30 days*.

Production Connectivity Validation

Validation Not Completed

Applicants who fail to complete the Validation process within 30 days will have their QHIN™ Designation terminated.
Note: If QHIN™ Designation status is terminated, applicants must wait 12 months after the date of termination to reapply.

Validation Completed

Applicant completes a successful validation transaction within 30 days.

Note: QHINs™ Designated with Provisional Status or Provisional Governance Status must abide by the applicable timelines in the QHIN™ Onboarding & Designation SOP.

Phase 5 Production QHIN™ Exchange

Step 1: Production QHIN Exchange

Following successful completion of the Application, Onboarding, and Designation process, QHINs begin Production QHIN™ Exchange.   Note: All QHINs have an obligation to serve as testing and validation partners at the request of other QHINs or the RCE™ for other potential QHIN™ applicants.   In order for applicants to retain their QHIN Designation, they must meet the responsibilities and reporting tasks set forth by the RCE.
*Timelines are subject to extension per QHIN™ Onboarding & Designation SOP

Ready to Get Started?

Review and complete the QHIN™ Application to begin your Onboarding process. If you have questions regarding the Application, Onboarding, and Designation process please feel free to contact us at rce@sequoiaproject.org.
Submit QHIN™ Application

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