(1) The Mississippi Health Information Network is established, and is referred to in this chapter as the “MS-HIN.”

(2) The MS-HIN shall be governed by a board of directors (MS-HIN board) consisting of eleven (11) members. The membership of the MS-HIN board shall reasonably reflect the public-private and diverse nature of the MS-HIN.

(3) The membership of the MS-HIN board of directors shall consist of the following:

(a) The Governor shall appoint one (1) member of the MS-HIN board of directors, who shall be a representative of a health insurance carrier in Mississippi with knowledge of information technology, to serve an initial term of three (3) years;

(b) The State Board of Health shall appoint one (1) member of the MS-HIN board of directors, who shall be a representative of a Mississippi hospital with knowledge of information technology, to serve an initial term of three (3) years;

(c) The Mississippi State Medical Association shall appoint a member of the MS-HIN board of directors, who shall be a licensed physician, to serve an initial term of three (3) years;

(d) The Primary Health Care Association shall appoint a member of the MS-HIN board of directors to serve an initial term of one (1) year;

(e) The Delta Health Alliance shall appoint a member of the MS-HIN board of directors to serve an initial term of four (4) years;

(f) The Information and Quality Health Care-Mississippi Coastal Health Information Exchange (MCHIE) shall appoint a member of the MS-HIN board of directors to serve an initial term of one (1) year;

(g) The State Board of Health shall appoint a member of the MS-HIN board of directors who shall be an employee of the State Department of Health to serve an initial term of one (1) year;

(h) The Mississippi Board of Information Technology Services shall appoint a member of the MS-HIN board of directors to serve an initial term of two (2) years;

(i) The Mississippi Board of Mental Health shall appoint a member of the MS-HIN board of directors who shall be an employee of the Department of Mental Health to serve an initial term of four (4) years;

(j) The University of Mississippi Medical Center shall appoint a member of the MS-HIN board of directors to serve an initial term of two (2) years; and

(k) The Division of Medicaid shall appoint a member of the MS-HIN board of directors who shall be an employee of the Division of Medicaid to serve an initial term of two (2) years.

(4) No state officer or employee appointed to the MS-HIN board or serving in any other capacity for the MS-HIN board will be construed to have resigned from public office or employment by reason of that appointment or service.

(5) The chairperson of the MS-HIN board shall be elected by a majority of the members appointed to the MS-HIN board.

(6) The MS-HIN board is authorized to conduct its business by a majority of a quorum. A quorum is six (6) members of the MS-HIN board.

(7) The MS-HIN board may adopt bylaws for its operations, including, but not limited to, the election of other officers, the terms of officers, and the creation of standing and ad hoc committees.