State Of Nebraska – Brochure

Department of Health and Human Services at The State of Nebraska the human element to digital Project partners

Department of Health and Human Services at The State of Nebraska The Human Element To Digital We speak to Lori Snyder, CIO, Information Systems & Technology at the State of Nebraska for the Department of Health and Human Services, to see how the state is using digital strategies to battle COVID-19‌

Written by

Andrew Woods

Produced by

Craig Daniels

State Of Neb raska

www.theinterface.net

3

2

020 will forever be remembered as the year that COVID19 triggered a dramatic halt to

life as we knew it, as billions of people were ushered into a world of isolation, economic disruption and total uncertainty. But behind the scenes, as the scientific community battled away to find a vaccine, there were many more working above and beyond to keep communities informed, healthy and safe.

Lori Snyder is the CIO, Information Systems & Technology at the State of Nebraska for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the lead agency in the state on COVID response, which has five divisions: Behavioral Health, Children and Family Services, Developmental Disabilities, Medicaid Long-Term Care and Public Health. And three months into her new role at the

the software and the solutions we’ve put

DHHS, slap bang in the eye of the COVID

in place for the COVID response really

storm, Snyder is clearly up for the scale of

helped with the testing, getting test

the challenge in front of her. “I’m a pretty

results back and notifying people.”

quick study, so I’ve jumped into a lot of

Snyder has previously worked in health-

things,” she says. “And I think that the

care, manufacturing, mail services, insur-

state and the federal government have

ance, government, and with the military,

done a really good job in terms of putting

but has never really specialized in a

together solutions so quickly with no

particular industry. “I really like to learn,

notice, but at the same time, when you get

and I get bored if I’m not learning,” she

a few months in, you can see opportuni-

explains. “So, I try to keep that learning

ties to improve and make things better.

curve going. I was getting to the point in

For example, we have seen places where

my career where I wanted to help other

State Of Neb raska

img credit: State of Nebraska

people in some sort of service role. I

area in order to give better service as

needed to be in a leadership role where I

the logistics of rolling out new vaccines

could have a big impact. And so, with the

dovetailed with track and trace. “We’re

COVID crisis going on right now, it really

looking at places where we can commu-

gave me an opportunity to pitch in and

nicate with people in a way they desire,”

find a place where I can really help, not

she explains. “Which is such a normal

only typically where you would assist a

thing in the E-commerce world, but we

company in moving forward, but in terms

didn’t have time to build this into track

of helping save lives.”

and trace. So, we’re finding ways to do

One of the key COVID challenges that

things online, through texting, and email,

Snyder and the State of Nebraska had to

where before it was a call – now a contact

face was communication and the devel-

tracer will reach out and get the informa-

opment of new ways to expand that

tion from the individual. We’re now looking www.theinterface.net

5

Build Resilience for a Better Tomorrow From vaccine management to remote work, learn how you can address today’s challenges

View the briefing

State Of Neb raska www.microsoft.com/government

at places where we can track symptoms

in that first group (healthworkers), right?

and use that tracking to help people know

But as you get deeper into the popula-

when to go into work, or to help them

tion, it’s not as clear who is going to alert

provide a letter to their employer for tax

people when they’re next. Who’s going

credits through the Cares Act.”

to encourage them to sign up? Who’s

Although vaccines are being rolled

going to help them remember which kind

out across the globe, there are many

of drug they had, since there are multiple

logistical challenges inherent in such a

doses? If they had Pfizer first, they then

campaign, with transport and storage

need the Pfizer second dose. If they had

being two notable concerns. “We’re look-

Moderna at first, they need the Moderna

ing at not only getting the vaccine from

second dose. Who’s looking at systems

the manufacturer, but also to the places

to track and curb the adverse reactions?

providing the vaccine,” Snyder says.

Now, a lot of these systems are in place,

“And in this case, it’s critical because

but we’re going to extend the capabilities

we’re using ultra-cold storage. So, you

in some way because maybe some of this

can’t give it to every provider who would

work was done by a provider in the clinic

normally receive a vaccine. You have to

previously, and now we need to reach a

select those who have that ultra-cold

wider population. Sometimes you have

storage. And then, how are we going

people who don’t have a regular provider,

to help the people within the State of

as maybe they’ve moved, or maybe they

Nebraska to get that vaccine? So, the

just don’t go to the doctor that often. And

hospitals help identify the people who are

so, they may need help finding out where

“ We have seen places where the software and the solutions we’ve put in place to help with the COVID response really helped with the testing, getting test results back and notifying people” — Lo r i S nyd e r C IO

www.theinterface.net

7

to go to get the vaccine. So, there’s all

picture together, showing the life cycle

these extra things around the edges that

of a person and all the things that they

get us looking to either take the systems

might need for support mechanisms for

we have in place and extend them, or

COVID and vaccinations. I think it’s been

looking to add some extra components,

very helpful to take that strategic holis-

such as the Microsoft Vaccine solution.”

tic approach, and look at the solutions

Contact tracing relies on exposure noti-

we have, making sure they integrate well

fications that identify people who were

together, ensuring that the data commu-

exposed, beyond just word of mouth.

nicates well together to improve the

“It’s one of those problems where you

service we’re providing to the folks who

start reaching out to community leaders,

live in the State of Nebraska.”

or chambers of commerce, or provider

The context and background to this

groups or whatever, that identifies even

work is stark. The clock is well and truly

more needs. And so, we’re really trying

ticking, as Snyder, her colleagues and her

to put that together in a holistic picture.

peers try to gain an upper hand during

I just gave a presentation to the gover-

this pandemic while people continue to

nor of the State of Nebraska, to put the

fall sick. The key to control is the spirit of

CORDOVA IS AN EXTENSION OF YOUR BUSINESS CORDOVA NEARSHORE SOLUTIONS (CNS) - Our new, cost-effective service delivers highly skilled, native-speaking IT professionals in the Central Time Zone who are able to integrate directly with any team or technology.

EXECUTIVE SEARCH

RECRUITING & STAFF AUGMENTATION

HUMAN RESOURCES & SALES CONSULTING

Are you ready for growth? Contact us to see how we can partner.

State Of Neb raska admin@cordova.solutions | 402.882.5153

Click here to get all the details

partnership and collaboration. “I’ve met

no-code types of solutions, like Microsoft

with 48 different people or companies,

Dynamics 365, or the Microsoft Power

from other state leaders, to vendors, to

Apps,” says Snyder. “We were doing that

providers, to staff members and external

anyway, but what this pandemic has done

parties who are trying to solve this prob-

is accelerate how we need to get those

lem,” she reveals. “It’s really jump-starting

things going faster or where we can lever-

things for me and enabling me to put that

age some of those technologies or some

whole picture together for my leadership

of those small pieces of the puzzle toward

team, so that we can make good deci-

solutions for the pandemic, while still

sions about what we do to support the

realizing we have these bigger projects

people in the state. Some of the things we

that will continue progressing, and that

were doing anyway but were not related

will still come to the table within their own

to COVID. We are now looking at how we

timeframes.”

can best serve the State of Nebraska and the folks here better.”

The I Serve Nebraska Portal is a new

“Government sites often have these little rectangles on their websites and I call it ‘pick-a-box,’” she explains. “And

data warehouse built upon the concept of

people try to figure out where to go to get

serving Nebraskans better with improved

the benefits they need. And so, they might

access, user experience and data around

select a box and it takes them down a

Economic Assistance and Medicaid. “We

path and ‘no, that’s not it.’ And they come

were looking at how we could provide

back to the top and they eventually figure

smaller solutions using low-code and

it out. The next time they come back,

“ I think it’s been very helpful to take that strategic holistic approach, and look at the solutions we have, making sure they integrate well together” — Lo r i S nyd er CI O

www.theinterface.net

9

they can’t remember that and so they

intelligence so that people can answer

go through the same pick-a-box, right?

the questions just once. We can now help

What we are trying to do with this new

them identify what benefits they qualify

portal is make this intuitive and easy for

for by merging those applications into

those first-time users, as they’re proba-

one. Plus, how can we pre-fill information

bly already feeling like they don’t want to

for them? None of these things are rocket

reach out for help. We want to make this

science in the E-commerce world, but

easy for them so we’re not compounding

you don’t always see it in the government

that struggle. Now we have multiple appli-

world.”

cations and if you maybe qualify for two

Snyder is visibly moved by the spirit

or three benefits, you have to go through

and commitment shown by vendors

that process two or three times. We want

during these challenging times as they

to drive the questioning in the appli-

join forces to develop highly anticipated

cation with better design and artificial

solutions. “Vendors are really thinking

State Of Neb raska

about the problems as thoroughly as they

what they are doing with exposure noti-

possibly can,” she enthuses. “When I look

fication, because I know that they are

at demos, let’s say on vaccine manage-

diverting other work in order to do this.

ment or something like that, and you start

And at least Google and Apple in the U.S.

thinking about all the different scenarios,

are offering some free technical capabil-

these solutions are coming to the table

ities for states, governments and cities

really well thought-out. People are invest-

to use. Well, that kind of thing doesn’t

ing thought time where maybe it wouldn’t

always happen, right? People are taking

have been invested quite so dramati-

this so personally they’re doing it on

cally, and quite so quickly, before. I think

their personal time, too. They’re invest-

there’s a personal nature to this because

ing really deep thinking and thought and

it matters to people’s lives.”

work and development time in this, which

“I was talking to folks from Apple and

is testament to the good in people and

Google yesterday and thanking them for

the good that we see coming out which

img credit: State of Nebraska

www.theinterface.net

11

wouldn’t usually be visible. I really believe in win-win vendor partnerships.”

According to Snyder, Microsoft has been super supportive in terms of understanding technologies and finding faster ways to go to market, things they can do to speed the processes up “while still giving a really high-quality solution, allowing us to bring other vendors to the table to do the implementations”. Snyder’s department has a small legislator app going live in just four weeks. “Which is kind of unheard of,” she laughs.

“That’s the beginning of the contract to the deliverable, so that’s a pretty fast cycle, especially in state government. Microsoft was very instrumental in bringing the vendor to the table, getting the licensing done, making sure we understood how to get through all the technical steps so we could launch. This will be a cloud launch with a very small app, but start to finish, exactly what we need to track our legislative bills.” A second app going live is the legislative bill tracking, to allow constituents to send questions to provide visibility on who has been contacted for answers and making sure the answers get back to the right people.

Snyder and her team have also been working with Cordova Solutions and Microsoft, plus collaborative work with Snowflake regarding how they’re going to move data to the Cloud while making public health data available so “that we can do better work in the COVID space and ultimately the broader public health and Medicaid areas”. Snowflake has been really instrumental in looking at workflows, helping to identify gaps, providing ideas and solutions, and then ultimately providing vendors who can implement. There have also been fruitful working relationships with Qualtrics and the State Of Neb raska

img credit: State of Nebraska

www.theinterface.net

13

“ All of this is about getting people everything they need. And making sure they feel dignity in doing this. Everything we do comes from this really caring spot” — Lo ri S nyd e r CIO

Salesforce team in implementing some of its COVID solutions.

Teamwork and partnerships during COVID have obviously worked across state lines too, as people cross state borders, potentially transporting this disease. “Our solutions work better if your neighboring states are working alongside you. We have people in our state crossing borders every day, maybe going to jobs, school or visiting relatives who live across these state borders,” Snyder explains. “If we deploy some of these solutions in a way that you can still get the information flowing across the border, we are going to have a better solution for the people in our state. So, a lot of good can come out of this. I think sometimes people are afraid of that collaborative notion and sometimes people want to develop things on their own, but I’m really about accomplishing results and that means leveraging others in a positive way and allowing them to leverage my knowledge as well State Of Neb raska

and having us all work together to identify

for her clients to interact, thus freeing

better solutions more quickly. Learning

the DHHS staff so they can really spend

from someone else is on one hand free-

more of their time with clients. An exam-

ing, but more importantly, it gets us to

ple is the new portal, iServe, which is

solutions faster.”

currently being deployed. iServe is a

Snyder is working hard to bring her

smart app that asks learning questions

private experience, as well as that of her

to make it easy for clients to apply for

vendors, to the table to help drive things

benefits without answering extra ques-

in a direction that makes it a lot easier

tions. “Instead, they can spend their time getting to know them, understanding

img credit: State of Nebraska

their needs, maybe helping them qualify for more benefits than they’re aware of, but really making good decisions to help them get the help they need. This really is something that’s helping people maintain their dignity, and to get them on their feet if they’re facing some initial or one-time adversity. Or they might have something long-term or ongoing. We’re making it efficient for them so they can spend their time taking care of whoever it is they’re taking care of whether that’s themselves or a loved one and not spending their time on a computer trying to figure out how to get the benefits that they need. The Snowflake data warehouse for example is a chance to pull the data together so the state can use it for people’s good. Not only can we use that to provide benefits better, but we’re going to be able to use it to find ways to produce those benefits more cost-effectively so we can use that money more wisely for the people of the www.theinterface.net

15

State of Nebraska. We’re also going to be able to use it in the public health area to help drive better health for the State of Nebraska folks, because if we can find trends or better ways to serve them, so they get the health information they need, maybe we prevent some diseases beyond preventing COVID. It further supports our mission of helping people live better lives.”

Anytime Snyder looks at an IT project, she centers in on the human element.

“It’s that emotional connection that helps people understand what you’re trying to do so that the people working on that feel that sense of urgency? When they feel that sense of urgency and they feel that sense of connection, they go that extra mile so the people using these processes and tools feel better about their jobs and lives. It creates this circle of goodness.”

“All of this is about getting people everything they need. And making sure they feel dignity in doing this. Everything we do comes from this really caring spot. And I love that. It makes you feel that people really are in this to serve the people of Nebraska. They’re really in it because they care. And this is meaningful to me. I want to spend my life and my time giving back.”

State Of Neb raska

img credit: State of Nebraska

www.theinterface.net

17