Healthcare EA Program

Project Background

 The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) was looking for a way to establish their first Enterprise Architecture Office (EAO) to drive Innovation. As a result, DHCS would not only achieve optimal compliance with state EA mandates, but create the Health Care Innovation Strategy for California, which guided the organization for nearly a decade.

The goals of this project included:

• Optimal compliance with the state mandates for the EAO
• Initial and target EA and MITA maturity
• Certification for every member of the DHCS Enterprise Architecture Staff
• DHCS Business goals as defined by executive leadership 
• Processes and procedures improvement for Innovation
• Enterprise Transformation capabilities defined and assigned
• Enterprise governance Framework for all groups and task forces
  

 Within the first 30 days, Elyon Strategies assessed the department’s architecture methods, artifacts, culture and environment, determining the EA capability maturity of the organization and a roadmap for improvement. 

Elyon created: 

• DHCS Governance Framework
• Enterprise Architecture Program
• Training and Certification
• Transformation Operating Model
• Health Care Innovation Strategy

To enhance the adoption of the effectiveness of frameworks and strategies, Elyon produced:

• Monthly CIO communications
• Executive reports for CMS and Oversight Organization
• Federal evaluations for MITA Maturity and ultimately, justification for Federal funding
  

Elyon trained and prepared every member of the DHCS Enterprise Architecture office for their EA certification. 

Project Approach

Elyon introduced a number of best practice frameworks and methodologies into the department’s capabilities. Elyon’s Maturity Readiness Index (eMRI) provided a 360 degree view of DHCS’ ability to innovate. To improve DHCS from this baseline, Elyon adapted and then helped DHCS adopt portions of nationally recognized frameworks as needed: ADKAR, PEAF, TOGAF, COBIT, as well as Elyon’s framework for MITA 3.0 maturity dashboards (now AI driven). 

Coaching methods and executive strategies were developed for individual executives and branch chiefs around the following program areas: 

• Medicaid Eligibility Determination System (MEDS) 
• California Medicaid Management Information System (CAMMIS)
• As well as CalHEERS, Dental MMIS, MedCompass

Elyon also advised the CIO and CEA on business improvement, information quality and technology adoption. 

During the MITA State Self-Assessment, Elyon provided application rationalization and assessed the systems and technical capabilities of the department and recommended a strategy for accomplishing business goals. 

Project Deliverables

Elyon successfully:

‍The Elyon team produced: 

• A governance charter
• Roles and responsibilities matrices
• Risk registers
• Principles 
• As-Is reports
• To-Be architecture
• Technology roadmaps to achieve MITA Maturity Level 3
  

The Elyon team facilitated: 

• Executive strategy interviews
• Business leadership workshops
• Organizational change
• Portfolio evaluation
• Technology Architecture Board meetings
• EA program scope sessions
  

The Elyon-guided executive workshops led to the “Health Care Innovation Strategy” which won the 2014 Excellence in EA Award from the FEAC Institute and Zachman International. 

Elyon also developed DHCS specific EA processes, such as architecture assurance assessments used on larger IT projects such as CA-MMIS System Replacement Project, and provided personal coaching for team leaders, managers and practitioners.

The Project Outcome

As part of the training, Elyon guided the EA Office through the EA program vision, principles, risk and governance model. With Elyon’s help, the Technology Architecture Board (TAB) was formed. Over the space of a year, Elyon guided TAB through:

• Capability modeling
• Maturity assessment
• Roles and responsibilities
• Vision development
• Strategy formulation 
  

The result was the award-winning “Health Care Innovation Strategy” which established vision, strategy and goals for a 5-10 year strategic plan. 

All of the results from Elyon and the Enterprise Architecture team’s efforts were compiled into technical documents explaining all the processes and procedures they went through to achieve:

• Architecture improvement
• New IT capabilities
• New governance groups and task forces 
  

Elyon wrote and published a few documents that would help unlock this desired transformation, including:

• Internal communications
• Training documents
• Guides 
  

In addition, technical standards, reference architectures, and the Health Care Innovation Strategy Implementation plan was developed to guide efforts over the next five years.