Utah is set to become the first state whose health exchange will be certified by the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC).

The Utah Health Information Network runs both administrative and clinical exchanges in addition to overseeing credentialing programs for healthcare providers:

EHNAC, a standards development organization and accrediting body, said it evaluated the Utah organization in areas including privacy and security, technical performance, business practices and organizational resources.  EHNAC also reviewed the HIE’s process for managing and transferring protected health information. According to EHNAC, the HIE “meets or exceeds all EHNAC criteria and industry standards.”

Read more about the program here.

A quickly growing Utah law enforcement firm told Congress yesterday that expanding broadband services has been the key to its rapid growth:

House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., brought in several companies to show opportunities created by expanding broadband and to argue that it will create jobs and fight the recession. She said it is as vital today as building freeways once was.

Greg Whisenant, founder and chief executive officer of CrimeReports.com, testified, "Like many other companies in the United States, without the Internet, CrimeReports.com would not exist." He added, "With it, we have seen exceptional growth. We currently have 41 employees, of which 30 were hired in 2009, mostly in sales and software engineering."

Whisenant added that his firm has grown from 10 customers just three years ago to nearly 1,000 today. Read more about their success story in the Deseret News here.

Navajo Nation communities in New Mexico, Arizona and Utah will receive $32 million in funding to expand broadband to the largest American Indian reservation. The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) is providing an additional $11.3 million in matching funds.

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke made the announcement yesterday, saying the completed project will bring broadband access to 30,000 homes, 1,000 businesses and 1,100 community institutions. The project will cover more than 15,000 miles of Navajo Nation territory and create jobs through the construction of 530 miles of fiber cable.

"It's going to help us. Someone has said we're 30 years behind the times. I believe it. ... I see it," Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. said. "This infusion of new capital is going to bring us a long ways in terms of helping us to catch up with the mainstream."

Read the full Washington Post story here and The Daily Times story here.

Three more states have announced broadband and health IT deployment projects, which are expected to create hundreds of new jobs, expand broadband access and build statewide health networks driven by high-speed Internet technology. Here is a look at the newly announced projects:

In California: The California Health and Human Services Agency will use $38.8 million to build a statewide health information exchange (HIE). The funding will be used to connect several already existing regional health networks within the state.

In Utah: The state has received a $13.4 million grant to expand broadband access through the UEN program, which will provide high-speed Internet to more than 35 public libraries, 99 charter schools and seven Head Start centers. The UEN program already provides broadband access through more than 300 Utah schools. In addition, the program will create an estimated 450 jobs.

"Money spent building this digital superhighway benefits every Utah family that has access to a computer at home, in a library or school — now and for years to come," said Rep. Jim Matheson at the project’s announcement.

 In Washington State: The state has received an $84 million grant to expand broadband access to rural and underserved areas. Part of the investment will also go towards creating WA-HealthNet, a statewide health network powered by broadband. The statewide Health IT network will allow health centers to exchange medical records including diagnostic imaging and lab results.