Community information exchange (CIE)
In 2024, the Washington State Legislature appropriated funding to the Health Care Authority (HCA) to implement a statewide Community Information Exchange (WA CIE) program. WA CIE is an initiative funded by the Medicaid Transformation Project (MTP 2.0).
The WA CIE vision and mission define the core purpose of the program. They clarify our aspirations for its impact within the state and help guide our efforts as we work together to build the technology.
- Vision: Washingtonians experience trustworthy, integrated health and social services that support individual, family, and community well-being.
- Mission: To build purposeful connections across health and social services through trusted information sharing that enables comprehensive, inclusive care coordination.
On this page
Find out what we’ve learned from community members across the state.
What is a CIE?
HCA defines CIE as technology that helps a community-based worker coordinate the services of a network of cross-sector social care partners—social service, community, Tribal, government, physical and behavioral health organizations—who commit to delivering social care so that patients have better access to health-related social needs (HRSN) services and the supports they need to improve their health. This secure technology with role-based access and client privacy controls may include:
- Resource directories
- Client management system including shared client information
- Needs assessments
- Shared care team information
- Closed-loop referral
- Referral history and a community record of social supports provided
- Event notification
- Shared care planning
What will WA CIE do?
The vision of WA CIE is to improve the statewide delivery of HRSN services to Apple Health clients, integrating delivery across regions. The WA CIE program’s key objectives are to:
- Implement standardization for the exchange of HRSN service delivery data.
- Ensure interoperability between state, regional, and local technology systems.
- Enable scalability of the efforts of Community Care Hubs in the regions.
The program will support the delivery of HRSN services such as nutrition, housing, and transportation that are coordinated by the regional Community Care Hubs at Washington’s nine Accountable Communities of Health (ACHs). Community-based ACH staff, contracted case managers, and other service providers enable the centralization of HRSN service delivery. The goals of service delivery centralization are to:
- Reduce barriers
- Reduce duplication of services
- Improve health outcomes and quality of care
This will be achieved by establishing policies and governance for information exchange along with a centralized technology infrastructure. WA CIE infrastructure will knit together CIE technologies currently used by the ACHs into a statewide system under the direction of the Health and Human Services Enterprise Coalition (HHS Coalition). These technologies include capabilities such as resource directories, client management systems, and closed-loop referrals, among others.
For more information...
Please see the CIE frequently asked questions (FAQ) for answers to common questions about the CIE, including its purpose, implementation plan, participation opportunities, and governance structure.
We want to connect with you!
Let us know if you have questions, comments, or ideas for activities to engage with communities across Washington about the CIE. Please send us an email or send a message through the CIE Public Input Box.
Stay in the know about WA CIE—sign up for our newsletter.
Additionally, the WA CIE team is available to speak to organizations, professional societies, community groups, and others about WA CIE. Please send us an email to get started.
What's happening now?
HCA has established the WA CIE Concept of Operations (ConOps), which provides a high-level overview of how WA CIE will support coordination of health and social services delivery. It acts as blueprint to engage community members, with the aim to align a shared understanding of the technology needed to support community care coordination. The ConOps was developed and refined through community input; it will guide the approach, requirements, and design for the technology infrastructure needed to effectively support communities across the state.
How can you get involved?
Between March and June 2026, the WA CIE team gathered input from communities across the state on what trusted information sharing looks like, what the current barriers to coordinating care are, and what the path forward should be. Read the Co-Designing Washington Community Information Exchange: Key Insights From User Research for a report of what we've learned from our key informant interviews, focus groups, and human-centered design workshops.
Key informant interviews and focus groups
We’re having in-depth conversations with a wide range of groups and individuals to guide the design, development, and implementation of the CIE. These are just a few of the audiences we’ve heard from:
- Community Care Hubs
- Health and social care providers
- Managed care organizations
- People with lived experience using HRSN services
- Justice-involved organizations
Please send us an email if you’d like to take part in a future interview or focus group. Include a brief description of your role to help us understand what perspectives you might bring.
Human-centered design workshops
WA CIE human-centered design workshops are collaborative, interactive, and creative sessions that bring partners together to brainstorm, problem-solve, and create solutions that benefit the people who will use the system. We have held two workshops and plan to hold more in the future.
Please send us an email if you’d like to be part of a future human-centered design workshop. Include a brief description of your role to help us understand what perspectives you might bring.
Virtual Public Input Walk-Ins
Join a Virtual Public Input Walk-In every other month to connect with WA CIE team members. Bring your questions and feedback, or just listen in. Drop in any time—no need to register.
- August 20: noon–1 p.m.
Theme: Initial release of WA CIE - October 15: noon–1 p.m.
Theme: To be determined
Webinars
Our webinars are an opportunity to find out about recent activities, current happenings, and what’s coming next. Sign up for the WA CIE mailing list to receive reminders and information about future events. You can watch previous presentations or download the slides below.
- Past webinars
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Date Event Related materials August 12, 2026 Approaching the First Stop: Initial Release of WA CIE March 18, 2026 WA CIE kickoff webinar
WA CIE newsletter
The WA CIE newsletter offers regular updates on progress, and information on how to get involved and make your voice heard. Subscribe today!
- Past newsletters
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Date Newsletter June 30, 2026 May 13, 2026
April 7, 2026
Engagement opportunities
We’re happy to give presentations at existing meetings or special events for community groups, professional associations, agencies, and everyone in between. Please send us an email to get started.
Advisory groups
Short-term advisory bodies made up of community partners support the work of the WA CIE team. We chose to start with an interim governance structure to build a roadmap for generating awareness, interest, trust, and engagement. Subscribe to the WA CIE newsletter for regular updates on the WA CIE advisory groups.
- Interim Advisory Committee
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The Interim Advisory Committee (IAC) is co-designing WA CIE as an inclusive, open, and transparent system, primarily through the development and eventual implementation of a more permanent governance structure. We expect the IAC will be replaced by a permanent governing body in late 2026 or early 2027.
IAC members
Name Title Organization Arlesia Bailey Chief transformation officer North Sound Accountable Community of Health Susan Buell Association Director of Health Initiatives YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties Liz Cattin Director of Community Health PeaceHealth Maria Courogen Executive Director Washington State Department of Health Joanna Den Haan CIE Community Governance and Operations Lead Comagine Health Rhonda Hauff Chief Executive Officer Yakima Neighborhood Health Services Betsy Jones Chief Strategy Officer Community Health Plan of Washington Michael McKee CIE Strategic Program Advisor Comagine Health Joan Miller Chief Executive Officer Washington Council for Behavioral Health Mike Myint Chief Population Health Officer UW Medicine Dave Pearson Chief Executive Officer Washington Association for Community Health Nichole Peppers Executive Director Coalition of Accountable Communities of Health Dan Renfroe CIE Program Manager Washington State Health Care Authority Sharon Silver Chief Executive Officer WithinReach Joshua Wallace President and Chief Executive Officer Peer Washington - Interim Data and Technical Advisory workgroup
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The Interim Data and Technical Advisory (IDATA) workgroup is helping define the initial scope for data governance and exchange as well as the technical requirements needed to execute on the vision of WA CIE. We expect IDATA will be replaced by a permanent governing body in late 2026 or early 2027.
IDATA members
Name Title Organization Michelle Ahmed Program Director Southwest Washington Accountable Community of Health Chris Baumgartner Deputy Chief Informatics Officer Washington State Department of Health Doug Baxter-Jenkins Division Director of Community Health CommonSpirit Health Greg Beck Director for Administration Operations Washington State Department of Social and Human Services Becky Betts Chief Operating Officer Greater Health Now Raquel Campuzano Community Health Worker and Chair Community Health Worker Leadership Committee Mo Chatta Program Director AZISWA Connect to Care Community Hub Josh Christiansen Washington Connection Administrator Washington State Department of Social and Health Services Rim Cothren CIE Technology Strategy Washington State Health Care Authority Madelyn Devoe Associate Director of Strategic Initiatives HealthierHere Lindsey Greene Medicaid Program Manager Coordinated Care Jesus Hernandez Chief Executive Officer Family Health Centers and Advance Northwest Rueben Hernandez Data Analyst Elevate Health Aundrea Jackson Senior Director of Contact Center Operations Crisis Connections Alana Kalinowski CIE Governance and Interoperability Manager 211 CIE San Diego in partnership with Comagine Health Bryant Karras Chief Medical Informatics Officer Washington State Department of Health Maura Little Executive Director Washington Alliance for Health Data Exchange Danny Lunder Senior Director, Data Analytics Washington State Hospital Association Mitsuyo Maser Data Governance and Release Manager Washington State Health Care Authority Alastair Matheson Data Modernization Director Public Health – Seattle & King County Ryan McLelland CIE Technology Lead UHIN in partnership with Comagine Health Waldo Mikels-Carrasco, CIE Technology Manager UHIN in partnership with Comagine Health Dan Nations CIE Data Manager and Architect Washington State Health Care Authority Nichole Peppers Executive Director Coalition of Accountable Communities of Health Jeremy Rolfer IT Project Manager Uncommon Solutions Sarah Salomon Director of Data Systems and Evaluation WithinReach Russ Shekha Behavioral Health Accountability Special Projects Manager II King County Department of Community and Human Services, Behavioral Health and Recovery Division Cathy Wasserman Measurement and Data Consultant Uncommon Solutions Drew Whatley Lead Resource Data Specialist Opportunity Council Dean Wight Special Project Manager Whatcom County Health Department Andrea Yip Planning Manager City of Seattle, Aging and Disability Services
CIE resources
- WA CIE Concept of Operations (August 2026)
- Co-Designing WA CIE: Key Insights From User Research (August 2026)
- CIE FAQ (July 2026)
- CIE Community Engagement Plan (July 2026)
- CIE landscape in Washington (September 2022)
- CIE strategic options report (September 2022)
- CIE planning strategy update slide deck (October 2022)