ACHI’S KENLEY MONEY RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD FOR HEALTH DATA LEADERSHIP

LITTLE ROCK ― Kenley Money, director of information systems architecture for the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, has been honored by the National Association of Health Data Organizations with the Elliot M. Stone Award of Excellence in Health Data Leadership.

According to the organization, NAHDO presents the award annually “to one or more individuals who represent the highest ideals in data collection, analysis, or outcomes measurement and whose creative efforts have made outstanding contributions to improvements in the collection, application, and/or dissemination of health data.”

NAHDO presented the award to Money, a current member and former chair of its board of directors, during its 40th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Meeting in Miami last week.

“Receiving this recognition from NAHDO is a great honor and a wonderful way to close out my career in health data,” said Money, who is preparing to retire this summer. “Access to reliable, comprehensive health data is essential for research, healthcare system improvement, and evidence-based policymaking. I’m proud to have helped secure and maintain that access for Arkansas, while helping my colleagues around the country develop similar resources based on our model.”

An ACHI employee since 2010, Money oversees the team managing the Arkansas All-Payer Claims Database, a repository of health insurance claims data and provider and enrollment files submitted by public programs and private insurers in the state. The database is a key component of the Arkansas Healthcare Transparency Initiative, which was created under a 2015 state law to be Arkansas’ primary, unified source for state health data. ACHI maintains the initiative under the authority of the Arkansas Insurance Department.

In addition to the All-Payer Claims Database, the Healthcare Transparency Initiative includes a wide array of Arkansas Department of Health data and data from other entities. Projects using the initiative’s data have informed numerous public policy decisions and brought millions of research dollars to Arkansas.

“Kenley is highly esteemed by her colleagues and others who recognize the value of data to improve health outcomes, but outside of those circles she has been an unsung hero in Arkansas public health,” said ACHI President and CEO Craig Wilson. “I’m thrilled to see her receive this national recognition. Kenley’s leadership and vision have helped make Arkansas a leader among states in healthcare transparency.”

NAHDO said on its website, “Not only has [Money’s] work expanded the capabilities of health analysts, researchers, and entrepreneurs in Arkansas, but through her leadership within NAHDO, including her service on the Board of Directors and three years as board chair, she has helped others across the country with the challenging work of developing similar health data resources and advanced capabilities in their states. When Kenley retires later this summer, she will leave a lasting legacy of excellence in the lives of those she has touched and the infrastructure she has played a critical role in building.”

Money is the second ACHI staffer to receive the Elliot M. Stone Award. In 2019, NAHDO presented the award to Dr. Joe Thompson, who was then president and CEO of ACHI and is now president emeritus.

More information about the Arkansas Healthcare Transparency Initiative is available at achi.net/healthcare-transparency-initiative.

ACHI is a nonpartisan, independent health policy center that serves as a catalyst for improving the health of all Arkansans through evidence-based research, public issue advocacy and collaborative program development.