Thank You Governor Corbett

Governor Tom Corbett is off to a good start to fulfill the proverb: "a man is judged by his deeds, not by his words."

The new Governor has pledged reform, fiscal responsibility, and openness and transparency in government. He recently demonstrated his strong commitment to these principles by rescinding a $31.7 million contract awarded in the waning days of the Rendell Administration. The contract was for an automated Pennsylvania Health Information Exchange (PHIX), a planned information technology system designed to electronically share patient information among health care providers confidentially.

I saw two major issues with this contract. First, the Rendell Administration attempted another sole-source/no-bid award. While competitive proposals were later considered, the Administration ended up with the initial vendor, questioning whether the process was fair, open, and transparent.

The state was allocated $17 million in stimulus funds for the project, but when questioned where the additional $14 million for the project was coming from, the Rendell Administration failed to provide an answer. The administration also failed to answer how the network would be sustained, or if taxpayers would be left to foot the bill.

Within the first month of his administration, I met with Governor Corbett's senior staff to discuss my concerns, and to their credit, agreed to suspend the contract. The future of PHIX is uncertain at this time.

While I am not opposed to a statewide health information exchange, I do have reservations about government's role in such a venture. Thanks to Governor Corbett's decision, there is time to debate the merits and ensure future contracts are pursued in the best interest of taxpayers and government is not blinded by federal dollars dangling in our faces.

The suspension of the PHIX contract is a victory for taxpayers. I will continue to examine other unscrupulous contracts awarded by the previous administration, in hopes of protecting your money. I look forward to working with Governor Corbett on that task, but meantime, thank you, Governor, for fixing PHIX!

Contact:

Beth A. Williams
717-787-5708