Part 4 - Iowa Medicaid Enterprise

RFP MED-12-001 | Technical ProposalIowa Medicaid Enterprise System Service Procurement | MMIS and Core MMIS Operationsto the Department at key points in the start-up and implementation phase, such as the cessation of UAT,the completion of ORT, and again after the implementation. These reports will confirm that TeamNoridian has provided training to 100 percent of designated attendees.8.4 Transition to OperationsRFP Section 6.4From our experience in multiple MMIS implementations, in Iowa, and in other large enterprise-widesystem implementations, our methodology enforces diligence of preparation in multiple ways. We beginpreparing for cutover during design/development where we begin to develop cutover steps andchecklists as part of the development package. Our risk management methodology directly feeds intothe contingency plans that are developed for the implementation. And our conversion strategy, fromthe start, models conversion activities that will occur at go live in the way we perform conversion tosupport development, system test, and user acceptance testing. This means that the crucial firstexperience that a provider, member or stakeholder has with the system will be a positive one. Inaddition, the proposed Early Provider Release enables a phased approach to building the operationsproduction environment. There will be an initial transition to operations phase at a smaller scale tosupport the Early Provider Release and another transition later when the full MMIS is implemented.Team Noridian's implementation approach is systematic and comprehensive to ensure that both thesystem and stakeholders are ready to successfully execute the implementation and transition to operations.Team Noridian has proposed a phased approach to implementation, starting with an Early ProviderRelease followed by the rest of the MMIS functionality. By leveraging a phased approach, theDepartment, provider community, Team Noridian, and the other IME contractors (the Provider ServicesContractor in particular) are able to fine tune production processes and tools over a period of time andbuild momentum toward the final release of the MMIS. This proposed approach is based on our recentand highly successful implementation experience in multiples states.For example, we deployed the pharmacy point of sale and provider enrollment capability early on theWashington ProviderOne project successfully in October 2008 and August 2009, respectively. The MMISgo live for ProviderOne was in May 2010. Our Michigan CHAMPS project also included early releases forMedicaid Portal, Document Management System, and Provider Enrollment in December 2006, July 2007,and April 2008, respectively. CHAMPS went live in September 2009. Both implementations were virtuallyflawless in planning and execution, and enthusiastically received by the provider and user communities.Team Noridian leverages an iterative and Agile based DDI approach to provide the Department earlyhands-on participation in design, configuration, and development. This methodology supports earlyadoption by end-users and other stakeholders. Team Noridian leverages this to build momentum thatculminates in early releases of functionality. Our phased implementation approach promotes early winsand allows the Department, IME contractors, providers, and other stakeholders (other departments andunits who interface with the MMIS) to begin using production tools early in the project.Team Noridian understands the complexity of implementing large-scale systems like the MMIS and therequirement of having a comprehensive strategy to ensure successful transitions in a phased approach.Team Noridian’s approach includes coordination across the project to accomplish the critical tasks thatprepare both the system and stakeholders and support an efficient transition to the operational phase. Thekey elements for the implementation task include:• Creating an implementation communication checklist for internal and external communication basedon the Communications Management Plan to ensure that all stakeholders have the informationrequired to support the implementation task• Developing a knowledge transfer plan and materials that provide the foundation for training forall stakeholders8 | 174