(C) a plan to use the network to improve 
patient safety, quality, and efficiency within the 
health care system. 
(2) USE OF FUNDS.—The Secretary may not 
make a grant to a regional health information orga-
nization under this section unless the organization 
agrees to use the grant— 
(A) to develop and implement a regional 
health information technology plan described in 
paragraph (3) for submission to the Secretary 
under paragraph (4); and 
(B) to begin implementation of the plan 
not later than the beginning of the second year 
of the grant. 
(3) REGIONAL
HEALTH
INFORMATION
TECH-
NOLOGY PLAN.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—A regional health infor-
mation technology plan shall provide for— 
(i) the establishment and implementa-
tion in a specified geographic area of a re-
gional health information network that— 
(I) allows the seamless, secure, 
electronic sharing of health informa-
tion among health care providers,
health plans, and other authorized 
users; 
(II) provides consumers with se-
cure, electronic access to their own 
health information; 
(III) meets data standards for 
interoperability adopted by the Sec-
retary, including any standards pro-
viding for interoperability among re-
gional health information networks; 
(IV) provides for interoperability 
with any health information tech-
nology product certified by the certifi-
cation entity described in section 4(a); 
(V) meets the privacy require-
ments of subsection (b); 
(VI) gives patients the option of 
allowing only designated health care 
providers to access their individually 
identifiable information concerning di-
agnosis and treatment of sexually 
transmitted diseases, addiction, and 
mental illnesses;
(VII) provides such public health 
reporting capability as the Secretary 
requires; 
(VIII) allows for such reporting 
of, and access to, health information 
for purposes of research (other than 
individually identifiable patient health 
information) as the Secretary re-
quires; and 
(IX) allows for the reporting of 
provider-specific health information 
(other than individually identifiable 
patient health information) required 
for the calculation of any voluntary 
consensus standard endorsed by the 
National Quality Forum; 
(ii) the financing and technical assist-
ance required to allow health care pro-
viders, especially small physician groups, to 
acquire and implement electronic medical 
records or other technology necessary to 
participate in the regional health informa-
tion network; and 
(iii) agreements among health care 
stakeholders regarding data reporting, re-
imbursement practices, or other mecha-
nisms to use the regional health informa-
tion network to improve patient safety, 
quality, and efficiency within the health 
care system. 
(B) CONTENTS.—A regional health infor-
mation technology plan shall— 
(i) be developed with the participation 
and widespread support of all health care 
stakeholders of the geographic area to be 
served by the grantee’s health information 
network, including but not limited to hos-
pitals, practicing physicians (including 
those from small physician groups), nurs-
ing facilities and skilled nursing facilities, 
other health care providers, health plans, 
employers, and patient groups; 
(ii) describe the governance structure 
of the health information network; 
(iii) describe the technologies and sys-
tems, including interoperability data stand-
ards, that will be used to establish a health 
information network consistent with para-
graph (A)(i);