The National Governors Association recently announced the formation of a new alliance to help states increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their health information technology initiatives.

The State Alliance for e-Health is charged with enabling state policymakers to share best practices and policies for health IT, the NGA said in a statement announcing the alliance’s creation. It was developed under a contract with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.

Priorities for the alliance include identifying ways to resolve state-level health IT issues that affect multiple states and increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of health IT initiatives. It also will work to resolve privacy and security issues surrounding the use and disclosure of electronic health information, the NGA said.