Funding the Standards and Policy Entity (SPE):

• The SPE must be established and funded as soon as possible in order to continue the work of defining the Common Framework according to which all the sub-networks will operate. Once the initial set of standards and policies are in place, the Health Information Environment will grow and evolve organically and continually.
• The SPE will operate indefinitely and continually refine and evolve the policies and standards and therefore must also be funded as part of the continuing operation of the Health Information Environment.
• The SPE must have a secure funding source and be subject to public sector oversight to insure continuity of governance of the Health Information Environment. Core funding may be provided by DHHS but private sector contributions should provide a significant proportion of total support over time.
• The SPE may be an existing organization or a new organization modeled after other quasi-governmental or public-private organizations. Immediate, near-term efforts need to include an analysis of both the public and private sectors for viable models. These efforts should be completed in no more than one year. The analysis of organizational models could be conducted by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), an agency of the NRC such as the CSTB, a new specially appointed Commission/Task Force, or other existing entity with the appropriate stature and credibility.