Policy & Practice | August 2019

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The Difference It Makes,Top-Down Led by Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Subramanian (Subi) Muniasamy, MD THINK is the most ambitious technology project in Maryland’s history. With the goal of creating a unified and fully integrated network that modernizes the state’s health and human services applica- tions, the MD THINK platform features the following: While one objective is enhanced functionality, data security remains the highest priority of the MD THINK initiative. Running on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud, the MD THINK Platform is able to manage security in the cloud with: n Centralized identity and access management n Multifactor authentication n Infrastructure and perimeter security n Vulnerability management and endpoint protection n Web application security n Encryption at rest and in motion In the data dimension, MD THINK’s centralized shared data repository provides a secure data store through role-based access (RBAC). RBAC data security ensures that only identified and agreed information is shared

between agencies, and only authorized individuals are able to view and update the data necessary for their role.  The 360˚ View of Its Infrastructure and Its Assured Cost Savings Under CTO Muniasamy’s strategic leadership, MD THINK’s unique model of interagency technological collabora- tion is also generating cost savings for the state. By consolidating infrastruc- ture and data services into one shared platform and utilizing a common shared data repository, MD THINK enables scale and operational efficien- cies. MD THINK’s AWS infrastructure guarantees a scalable, pay-as-you-go, cloud-based platform that: n Streamlines program operations n Increases productivity n Enables state agencies to build new systems at a relatively low cost. With every new agency application that gets added, the platform becomes more cost efficient. The Action So Far… In 2017, the MD THINK project was awarded nearly $195 million in federal funding for design, development, and implementation. Several collaborating Maryland state agencies were identi- fied for the first phase of migration to

2.Higher fidelity of data: Cross- agency data redundancies identified in the validation process will elimi- nate duplication of customer and transactional records in the shared data repository. 3.Remote access: With cloud-based data, caseworkers are provided with tablet devices that enable them to provision services for customers from anywhere. This ground- breaking shift means they are able to serve the public more directly and more immediately. 4.Easier customer service: The unified MD THINK application and eligibility determination process ensures a better quality of customer service and eases the burden on caseworkers. 5. Improved system performance: MD THINK has infrastructure at its center. State agencies are already Improvements in system stability and performance have already led to quicker processing times and an easier application process statewide. 6.Alignment with green initiatives: With reductions in paper storage, the MD THINK Program reduces the production of paper documents. Documents are stored and backed up in the cloud. experiencing benefits from the initial MD THINK production applications.

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