Healthcare Technology News reports on Regional Extension Centers
HTN reported on June 2, 2009 that the ONC has proposed Health Information Technology Regional Extension Centers to help providers achieve meaningful use. Funding between $1 and $10 million. Comments due back by June 11, 2009.
Based on Federal Register May 28, 2009 notice:
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-12419.htm
Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), HHS;
Notice of Availability: Secretarial Recognition of Certain Healthcare
Information Technology Standard Panel (HITSP) Interoperability
Specifications and the Standards They Contain as Interoperability Standards for Health Information Technology
Excerpt: “We propose that the goals of the regional center program should be to:
–Encourage adoption of electronic health records by clinicians and
hospitals;
–Assist clinicians and hospitals to become meaningful users of
electronic health records; and
–Increase the probability that adopters of electronic health record
systems will become meaningful users of the technology.”
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-12419.htm
organizational plans and implementation strategies incorporating multi-
stakeholder collaborations that leverage local resources. The local
stakeholders and resources that applicants may wish to consider
including in some combination, though not limited to, the following:
Public and/or private universities with health professions,
informatics, and allied health programs; state or regional medical/
professional societies and other provider organizations; federally
recognized state primary care associations; state or regional hospital
organizations; large health centers and networks of rural and/or
community health centers; other relevant health professional
organizations; the regionally relevant state Area Health Education
Center(s); health information exchange organizations serving providers
in the region; the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization(s)(QIO(s) serving
providers that the proposed regional center aims to serve; state and
tribal government entities in the center’s geographic service area
including, but not limited to, public health agencies; libraries and
information centers with health professional and community outreach
programs; and consumer/patient organizations.”
“As noted below, we propose to give preference to
applicants identifying viable sources of matching funds. Viable sources
could include grants from states, non-profit foundations, and payment
for services from providers able to make such payment. For example,
Medicaid providers could choose to contract with a regional center in
lieu of a corporate vendor for implementation and meaningful use
support services, for which costs are reimbursable under Section 1903
of the Social Security Act, as amended by the HITECH Act. A regional
center could also, theoretically, seek to establish itself as a first-
choice source of assistance that would realize net retained earnings on
service to non-prioritized providers and use those retained earnings as
a source of matching funds for its grant-funded activities.
