The State of Washington’s Department of Health (DOH) implemented more than 600 improvements to its cloud IT service management implementation in 2017, which helped cut the department’s IT service delivery times in half, according to two officials within the department.

Washington CIO Michael Cockrill is moving to the private sector later this month. After being appointed by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee in 2013, Cockrill oversaw the creation of Washington Technology Solutions, the agency created in 2015 to centralize state IT and improve services for the people of Washington through technology. Cockrill spoke with MeriTalk State and Local about his time as CIO and the jump to rejoin the private sector.

Seattle hosted its “City for All” hackathon, which gathered data scientists, designers and urban planners, and software developers to search for solutions for challenges connected to aging and accessibility within the city. The hackathon was hosted in partnership with the Age-Friendly Seattle initiative, part of Seattle’s commitment to residents of all ages, including senior citizens who wish to age in place.

The Center for Data Innovation (CDI), a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, recently released “The Best States for Data Innovation,” a new report analyzing how states are using data to innovate and offer new services. Topping the overall list were Massachusetts, Washington, and Maryland. Rounding out the bottom were Mississippi, West Virginia, and Louisiana.

Michael Cockrill became CIO of Washington state in 2013. Since then he has worked to streamline the state’s IT organization, help lawmakers understand the technological impact of their public policy decisions, and secure Washington well into the future. In an interview with 21st Century State & Local, Cockrill discussed his role, past achievements, and how Washington’s IT office is becoming more millennial-friendly.

The Vancouver Clinic in Washington has started integrating patients’ genetic information into their Epic EHRs, providing decision support, increasing personalized care/therapies, and better managing hereditary risks.

The Consumer Technology Association released the 2017 Innovation Scorecard, ranking states in four categories: Innovative Champion, Innovative Leader, Innovative Adopter, and Modest Innovator.

Prince George’s County, Md., on Monday released two new open data sets and plans to release another set in the coming weeks. The first two data sets contain information about agency performance and the Transforming Neighborhoods Initiative. The data sets will have updated versions of city information that was released in August about citizen complaints and requests.

Before Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib stepped into office, the Washington State Senate received a technology overhaul. Habib is the state’s first blind lieutenant governor, and the Senate’s meetings room needed new technology to accommodate him.