(1) The office shall serve as a coordinating body for public and private efforts to improve quality in health care, promote cost-effectiveness in health care, and plan health facility and health service availability. In addition, the office shall facilitate access to health care data collected by public and private organizations as needed to conduct its planning responsibilities.

     (2) The office shall:

     (a) Conduct strategic health planning activities related to the preparation of the strategy, as specified in this chapter;

     (b) Develop a computerized system for accessing, analyzing, and disseminating data relevant to strategic health planning responsibilities. The office may contract with an organization to create the computerized system capable of meeting the needs of the office;

     (c) Have access to the information submitted as part of the health professional licensing application and renewal process, excluding social security number and background check information, whether the license is issued by the secretary of the department of health or a board or commission. The office shall also have access to information submitted to the department of health as part of the medical or health facility licensing process. Access to and use of all data shall be in accordance with state and federal confidentiality laws and ethical guidelines, and the office shall maintain the same degree of confidentiality as the department of health. For professional licensing information provided to the office, the department of health shall replace any social security number with an alternative identifier capable of linking all licensing records of an individual; and

     (d) Conduct research and analysis or arrange for research and analysis projects to be conducted by public or private organizations to further the purposes of the strategy.

[2010 1st sp.s. c 7 § 113; 2009 c 343 § 1; 2007 c 259 § 51.]

NOTES:

     Effective date -- 2010 1st sp.s. c 26; 2010 1st sp.s. c 7: See note following RCW 43.03.027.