Arizona’s IT department overhauls website, adds social media

Arizona’s Information Technology department (GITA) has overhauled its website by incorporating social media and reorganizing information for increased service and transparency.

By incorporating Youtube video, Facebook and Twitter feeds, the agency hopes to bring more awareness to GITA’s activities, says GITA Director Chad Kirkpatrick. “By taking advantage of the new social media tools,” Mr. Kirkpatrick said. “GITA can reach a wider audience and better communicate its initiatives.”

Some of GITAs strategic initiatives include access to rural health care through the Rural Health Information Technology Adoption (RHITA) Grant Program and the Health Information Security and Privacy Collaboration (HISPC). First started in 2006, GITA helped create the Arizona Health-e Connection and the non-profit organization’s Roadmap towards a strategy to enable electronic data exchange across health care consumers, payers, providers, consumers, researchers and government agencies. GITA’s Strategic Initiatives Unit (SIS) also manages the HISPC – Arizona’s Health Privacy Project which was first federally funded in 2006 to facilitate the sharing of electronic health records.

GITA also works to promote universal broadband and coordinated statewide telecommunications policies, IT security and privacy best-practices, as well as serve other Arizona state agencies with IT planning, standards compliance and reporting initiatives.

The redesign is part of general overhaul of Arizona state websites, initiated to create a consistent look and feel for citizens when visiting or utilizing state offices online. The Arizona Department of Water Resources, Arizona Department of Racing, Arizona State Board of Nursing and AHCCCS websites have also undergone similar renovations.

“The website creates a way for Arizona citizens to interact with GITA,” noted Director Chad Kirkpatrick, “creating ease of use and interactivity brings value to our visitors.”

For more information about GITA and to see the details concerning some of the site’s new features, visit http://www.azgita.gov.

@azgita tweets can be found by visiting http://twitter.com/azgita

Facebook users can find GITA by searching for Arizona Government Information Technology Agency.

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