Author Archives: Mike Squires

About Mike Squires

Mike Squires is a marketing and sales executive with 12 years focused on e-Healthcare initiatives that helped physicians change the way they work for better patient care. Experienced in introducing new online products to physicians, healthcare professionals, and the pharmaceutical and medical device industries with innovative sales and marketing strategies at start-up and traditional healthcare publishers. Helped position Medscape as the market leader to the industry and accelerate e-product offerings of Elsevier’s International Medical News Group and F-D-C Reports. Directed marketing, sales, client relations, sales support, and implementation of medical education and promotion programs. Entrepreneurial and enthusiastic; excellent mentor and motivator.

Colleen Woods Asks “Where are the NJ Healthcare Innovators?!!”

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From: Colleen Woods, NJ Health IT Coordinator
To: New Jersey Healthcare Innovators,
NJ Health IT Community
Re: Calling for Innovations for Supplemental ONC Funding
Date: Dec 21, 2010
High PriorityMost of you are aware that the Office of the National Coordinator issued a supplemental funding opportunity to the State Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program.  As required, on December 10th,2010,  I responded that New Jersey would apply for the supplemental funding, knowing that we have many exciting projects in place that could be advanced with just a bit of additional funds.

There are five challenge “themes” that the feds view as potential barriers to full national health information exchange. They are seeking innovative ideas/solutions from those of you who know healthcare delivery the best.  The themes are:
  • Achieving Health Goals through Health Information Exchange
  • Improving Long Term and Post Acute Care Transitions
  • Consumer Mediated Information Exchange
  • Enabling Advance Query for Patient Care
  • Fostering Distributed Population-Level Analytics

For more information please see a PDF of the  ONC’s funding announcement: http://goo.gl/oGc7Q

Or to see all the funding documents, go to Grants.gov:http://goo.gl/0dk3i

I know there are a lot of good ideas and projects already underway that would qualify for this funding opportunity. (Jeff, Becky, Jim, Tom, Dave, Tom, Linda, Lou, Judy, Neal, Al, Bob et al…..) , but the award requires a quick response.  Applications need to be sent to by the NJ State Coordinator’s Office ONC by January 5th, 2011. I would proud to submit any ideas you have that would meet the ONC challenge.  Please feel free to call me to discuss.

My best wishes to you and your families for a Happy Holiday Season!

Colleen

Colleen Woods
NJ Health IT Coordinator
Governor’s Office
(609)777-2609
colleen.woods@gov.state.nj.us

Synopsis of the Supplemental State HIE Challenge Program
“This funding announcement for the Health Information Exchange Challenge Program encourages breakthrough progress for nationwide health information exchange in five challenge areas identified as key needs since Federal and State governments began implementation of the HITECH Act. The awards will fund the development of technology and approaches that will be developed in pilot sites and then shared, reused, and leveraged by other states and communities to increase nationwide interoperability. The five themes include: 1. Achieving health goals through health information exchange 2. Improving long-term and post-acute care transitions 3. Giving patients access to their own health information 4. Developing tools and approaches to search for and share granular patient data (such as specific lab results for a given time period) 5. Fostering strategies for population-level analysis Awards will range between $1 million and $2 million each, and will be in the form of supplemental funding to State Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreements, which have provided approximately half a billion dollars to states and State designated entities to enable health information exchange. Funding for this initiative is approximately $16 million which ONC anticipates will support 10 awards.”
–Synopsis from grants.gov

New EHR FAQs Added to ONC/CMS sites on eRx, Clinical Info Exchange

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CMS and ONC both Add to FAQs related to Health Information Exchange on 12/12/2010
Link to PDF of ONC’s 22 Regulations FAQs. Note FAQ #21 not yet posted.
The following FAQs were excerpted on 12/18/2010.

ONC Question [12-10-022-1]:
Does the certification criterion pertaining to electronic prescribing, which references certain content exchange standards (i.e., NCPDP SCRIPT 8.1 and NCPDP SCRIPT 10.6), require that a Complete EHR or EHR Module be capable of electronically exchanging information with only external recipients (i.e., recipients that are not part of that legal entity) according to the appropriate standard (and implementation specifications) or does it apply more broadly?

Answer:
For the certification criterion pertaining to electronic prescribing (45 CFR 170.304(b)), which references those two content exchange standards adopted at 45 CFR 170.205(b) and the vocabulary standard 170.207(d) (i.e., any source vocabulary that is included in RxNorm), a Complete EHR or EHR Module must be certified as being capable of electronically generating and transmitting prescriptions and prescription-related information to external recipients in accordance with the appropriate adopted standard(s) (and implementation specifications). These standards were adopted for the purpose of enabling a user of Certified EHR Technology to “exchange” electronically certain health information, as indicated in the first sentence of the regulatory section and the section title, and as alluded to in various other parts of the Standards and Certification Criteria Interim Final and Final Rules.

We intended the capability required by this certification criterion and the referenced standards and implementation specifications to apply to the electronic exchange of prescription information between different legal entities (e.g., from an eligible professional’s Certified EHR Technology to a pharmacy that is not part of the eligible professional’s legal entity), to complement how CMS has generally described “exchange” in the context of meaningful use as information “sent between different legal entities with distinct certified EHR technology or other system that can accept the information….” (75 FR 44361-62). In the Standards and Certification Criteria Interim Final Rule and in the Standards and Certification Criteria final rule, we discussed current Medicare Part D electronic prescribing regulatory requirements for using NCPDP SCRIPT 8.1, and the anticipated use of NCPDP SCRIPT 10.6. (75 FR 2031-32, 75 FR 44625-26). In both rules, we also had explained that the purpose of the adopted standards and certification criteria was not to specify how or when Certified EHR Technology must be used, but only what capabilities Certified EHR Technology must include. (75 FR 2022-23, 75 FR 44592-93). We sought to align the adopted standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria with certain already established regulatory requirements to ensure that Certified EHR Technology would provide a base-level of capabilities to assist users in meeting those other regulatory requirements. (See, for example, 75 FR 44591, and 75 FR 44598.) Then, when discussing electronic prescribing, we referred to the adopted NCPDP SCRIPT standard as a standard required under the Medicare Part D e-prescribing regulations when “an entity sends prescriptions outside the entity (for example, from an HMO to a non-HMO pharmacy)….” (75 FR 2031-32, 75 FR 44592). Consequently, with respect to the capability a Complete EHR or EHR Module must demonstrate in order to be certified to the certification criterion adopted at 170.304(b), a Complete EHR or EHR Module must be capable of electronically transmitting prescriptions and prescription-related information to external recipients according to NCPDP SCRIPT 8.1 or 10.6 in addition to the adopted vocabulary standard for medications at 45 CFR 170.207(d).

This approach is consistent with a principle we established in the Standards and Certification Criteria Interim Final Rule where we sought to ensure that eligible health care providers seeking to meaningfully use Certified EHR Technology and engaging in electronic exchange would be able to do so in a manner that would be compliant with other applicable law. Thus, with respect to electronic prescribing, we adopted NCPDP SCRIPT 8.1 and 10.6 to ensure that when an eligible professional electronically transmits a prescription or prescription-related information for Medicare Part D covered drugs for Medicare Part D eligible individuals to, for example, a pharmacy that is not part of the legal entity of the eligible professional, the eligible professional would be able to do so using Certified EHR Technology and also comply with the Medicare Part D e-prescribing rules.

See CMS FAQ 10284 [ or immediately below] for information about how these transmissions should be counted.

CMS Question 10284 FAQ on EHR Incentive Program
For the meaningful use objective of “generate and transmit prescriptions electronically (eRx)” for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program, how should the numerator and denominator be calculated? Should electronic prescriptions fulfilled by an internal pharmacy be included in the numerator?
Published 12/17/2010 11:34 AM   |    Updated 12/17/2010 11:41 AM   |    Answer ID 10284

ANSWER
The denominator for this objective consists of the number of prescriptions written for drugs requiring a prescription in order to be dispensed, other than controlled substances, during the EHR reporting period. The numerator consists of the number of prescriptions in the denominator generated and transmitted electronically using certified EHR technology. In order to meet the measure of this objective, 40 percent of all permissible prescriptions written by the EP must be generated and transmitted electronically according to the applicable certification criteria and associated standards adopted for certified EHR technology as specified by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC).

ONC has released an FAQ stating that “with respect to the capability a Complete EHR or EHR Module must demonstrate in order to be certified to the certification criterion adopted at 170.304(b), a Complete EHR or EHR Module must be capable of electronically transmitting prescriptions to external recipients according to NCPDP SCRIPT 8.1 or 10.6 in addition to the adopted vocabulary standard for medications (45 CFR 170.207(d)).”  Given such FAQ, prescriptions transmitted electronically within an organization (the same legal entity) would not need to use these NCPDP standards. However, an EP’s EHR must meet all applicable certification criteria and be certified as having the capability of meeting the external transmission requirements of §170.304(b).  In addition, the EHR that is used to transmit prescriptions within the organization would need to be Certified EHR Technology.

The EP would include in the numerator and denominator both types of electronic transmissions (those within and outside the organization) for the measure of this objective. We further clarify that for purposes of counting prescriptions “generated and transmitted electronically,” we consider the generation and transmission of prescriptions to occur constructively if the prescriber and dispenser are the same person and/or are accessing the same record in an integrated EHR to creating an order in a system that is electronically transmitted to an internal pharmacy.

For more information about the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, please visit http://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms.

ONC Question [12-10-023-1]:
Could an interface that transmits lab results in HL7 message format between a hospital laboratory system and a physician’s EHR (presuming that the transmissions were occurring between two different legal entities) satisfy the certification criteria related to the exchange of key clinical information in 45 CFR 170.304(i) and 45 CFR 170.306(f)? If not, please specify the required data types and exchange characteristics that must be part of the required clinical information exchange.

Answer:
As implied in the question, for certification a Complete EHR or an EHR Module must have the capability to electronically receive and display, and transmit certain key clinical information in accordance with one of two separate certification criteria (45 CFR 170.304(i) or 45 CFR 170.306(f)), depending on the setting for which the EHR technology is designed (ambulatory or inpatient, respectively). Generally speaking, these certification criteria require two types of information exchange capabilities – the capability to:

  1. Electronically receive and display a patient’s summary record, from other providers and organizations including, at a minimum, diagnostic tests results, problem list, medication list, and medication allergy list in accordance with the continuity of care document (CCD) standard (and the HITSP/C321 implementation specifications) or the continuity of care record (CCR) standard and that upon receipt of a patient summary record formatted according to the alternative standard, display it in human readable format.
  2. Electronically transmit a patient summary record to other providers and organizations including, at a minimum, diagnostic test results, problem list, medication list, and medication allergy list using the CCD standard (and the HITSP/C32 implementation specifications) or the CCR standard while also representing specific named data elements (problems, laboratory test results, and medications) according to adopted standards.

Note: The above uses language from 45 CFR 170.304(i). The certification criterion adopted at 45 CFR 170.306(f) also includes “procedures” as a required, standardized data element within these exchange capabilities.

Therefore, an interface that transmits lab results in HL7 message format between a hospital laboratory system and a physician’s EHR (where the transmission is occurring between two different legal entities) would not qualify as an exchange of key clinical information that complies with the requirements of either of these two certification criteria. The interface would not satisfy the required capabilities included within the adopted certification criteria, and more specifically, the ability to transmit a patient summary record in accordance with the CCD standard (and the HITSP/C32 implementation specifications) or the CCR standard.

1HITSP Summary Documents Using HL7 Continuity of Care Document (CCD)

Illinois, Wisconsin, New Hampshire Plans Brings to 18 ONC’s Approved Strategic and Operational Plans

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Eighteen States/SDEs with Approved Strategic and Operational Plans

Excerpted from State HIE Toolkit 12/22/2010

Illinois announced that their plans were approved by ONC on Dec 21, 2010. With recent addtions of Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Idaho, North Carolina, Vermont, and Washington, this brings total to 18 the number of states with approved strategic and operational plans listed on ONC’s State HIE Toolkit. Approved plans include California, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Washington.

Illinois HIE Strategic and Operational Plan

Here are the links to Illinois’s approved plans from Illinois HIE site.

http://www.hie.illinois.gov/sop.html 

State HIE Toolkit Updated 12/21/2010

The list below represents the currently approved state specific strategic and operational plans for creating Health Information Exchange capacity. [Note: Several state plans have not yet been published. State of Washington’s original submission and ONC response are shown, but final plan has not yet been published. Most of the links go to PDF files.] While Illinois has been added to ONC’s State HIE Toolkit chart (not yet shown below),  links to Illinois plan have not yet been added on ONC site.

The list below represents the currently approved state specific strategic and operational plans for creating Health Information Exchange capacity.

State

Strategic /Operational Plans

and

State Summaries

 Entity Responsible for Grant Plan Approval Date
California

Strategic and Operational Plans

To view the documents separately click here (easier download)

 California Health and Human Services Agency 6/16/2010
Delaware  Pending Delaware Health Information Network 5/17/2010
Idaho  Pending Idaho Health Data Exchange 12/7/2010
Illinois  Pending Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services 12/20/2010
Maryland Strategic and Operational Plans The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene 5/14/2010
Michigan

Strategic and Operational Plans

Amendment 1

 Michigan Department of Health 11/29/2010
Nebraska Strategic and Operational Plans Nebraska Department of Administrative Services 11/5/2010
New Hampshire  Pending New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services 12/10/2010
New Mexico Strategic and Operational Plans LCF Research, New Mexico 1/25/2010
North Carolina

Strategic and Operational Plans

State Summary

 North Carolina Department of State Treasurer 11/3/2010
Oregon  Pending State of Oregon 12/10/2010
South Carolina Strategic and Operational Plans South Carolina Department of Health & Human Services 8/30/2010
Tennessee

Strategic and Operational Plans

Gap Analysis

State Summary

 State of Tennessee 9/17/2010
Texas Strategic and Operational Plans Texas Health and Human Services Commission 11/3/2010
Utah Strategic and Operational Plans Utah Department of Health 5/12/2010
Vermont Strategic and Operational Plans Vermont Department of Human Services 10/26/2010
Washington  Pending Washington Health Care Authority 12/10/2010
Wisconsin  Pending Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services 12/20/2010

See e-Healthcare Marketing post for 32 State Health Information Exchange Plans, last updated on November 21, 2010. The Nov 21 update still needs to be reviewed and revised based on plan revisions not yet captured in that post.

‘Health IT: Making Health Care Better’: Commentary on America’s Health Rankings Site

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‘Health IT: Making Health Care Better’ by Sachin Jain
On the Web site dedicated for 20 years to using data to promote better health in the United States, Sachin H. Jain, MD, MBA, wrote a commentary on the role of the national HITECH initiative to collect and exchange health information for better patient care.  Titled  “Health IT: Making Health Care Better,” Jain’s commentary appears on the 21st Edition of America’s Health Rankings®: A Call to Action for Individuals and Their Communities. Jain is special assistant to the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.

Jain discusses using electronic health records to improve patient quality management, encourage better clincal decisions, providing health information where and when it is needed, and getting information from here to there.

To read Jain’s commentary, click here.

ONC’s Kendall blogs about ‘Regional Extension Centers Supporting EHR Adoption’

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Regional Extension Centers Supporting EHR Adoption
Tuesday, December 14th, 2010 | Posted by: Mat Kendall Director Office of Provider Adoption Support on ONC Health IT Buzz blog and republished here by e-Healthcare Marketing.

The Regional Extension Centers (RECs) located across the country play a critical role in advancing the use of health information technology (health IT). They are charged with guiding some 100,000 health care providers in their efforts to establish and meaningfully use electronic health records in their practices. They offer a variety of services including outreach and education, and on-the-ground assistance.

With a total of 62 RECs, we are in every area of the U.S. to assist health care providers in their transition to electronic health records. To ensure that these critical partners have the knowledge and tools they need to assist their area’s health care providers, leaders from ONC’s Office of Provider Adoption Support  spend a good deal of time on the road meeting with REC staff members.

So far we’ve held workshops and seminars on topics like meaningful use, privacy and security, vendor selection, and workforce development.  We’ve had the chance to participate in events where leaders from different RECs come together to network and share best practices.  And we’ve learned about new ways we can support our RECs in their mission to help health care providers adopt electronic health records.

We are now implementing several new initiatives as a result of what we’ve learned from our REC partners:

  • An interactive online community that houses a wealth of tools and resources for RECs to obtain strategic health IT support and exchange ideas
  • An Outreach, Education, and Marketing Guide to assist RECs in their outreach efforts
  • A Meaningful Use Vanguard (MUV) cohort to showcase and reward health care providers who are true health IT ambassadors
  • Outreach campaigns to assist RECs in their recruitment of participating health care providers
  • Partnering with EHR vendors to identify best practices for working together to meet the needs of providers

These initiatives are only the beginning.

Our RECs are in the field, actively recruiting and signing on providers to their services. To date, our RECs have enrolled over 28,000 providers and for the last 12 weeks, the RECs across the country have enrolled on average over 1,000 providers a week.   Some RECs, such as Mississippi and Maine have enrolled over 60% of their overall primary care provider target.  Others, such as Colorado, the California Health Information Partnership Service Organization, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New York City Washington/Idaho RECs have enrolled over 1,000 providers in the last few weeks.

We are looking forward to hearing more about the RECs and their accomplishments at the 2010 ONC Update Meeting, December 14-15, in Washington D.C. This meeting will be a great opportunity to continue our dialogue with the RECs and learn about other ways we can support them. We want to ensure that the RECs are fully equipped to help our nation’s health care providers become meaningful users of electronic health records.

To find out more about the REC program in general, visit healthit.hhs.gov/REC.
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To post comments directly on ONC Health IT Buzz blog post, please click here.

Meaningful Use Vanguard Program
To see an example at a state REC level of the Meaningful Use Vanguard Program launched November 15, 2010, see the “The West Virginia Regional HIT Extension Center (WVRHITEC) [which] has established a new physician-to-physician outreach and education program designed to assist and help foster more widespread adoption and use of electronic health record systems in West Virginia.” Click here.

Blumenthal Letter #21: 2010 ONC Update [and Welcome to 2010 ONC Conference]

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2010 ONC Update
Dr. David BlumenthalA Message from Dr. David Blumenthal, the National Coordinator for Health Information TechnologyDecember 10, 2010
Accessed from ONC site 12/13/2010.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), and other HHS agencies are dedicated to improving the nation’s health care through health information technology (health IT).

Since the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act was signed into law in February 2009, we have established a number of initiatives that will help make it possible for providers to achieve meaningful use and for Americans to benefit from electronic health records as part of a modernized, interconnected, and vastly improved system of care delivery.

This year alone, we have established a number of important policies and programs to help lay the foundation for providers to begin their journey toward meaningful use. These include: 

It’s been a busy year for health IT at HHS.

We are looking forward to discussing more about all of our HITECH initiatives to date, as well as our future activities, at the upcoming 2010 ONC Update Meeting on December 14 and 15.

Over the course of this two-day meeting, we are offering a number of sessions that will give participants a better understanding of the HITECH regulations and the role that HITECH plays in health system change and health care reform. Some session topics include:

  • HITECH programs that support providers in achieving meaningful use
  • How HITECH initiatives will promote consumer empowerment and public engagement
  • Privacy and security policies

Our panelists and invited speakers include HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and leaders from CDC, CMS, OCR, ONC and organizations who have a stake in our work. We are excited about the opportunity to share information and ideas.

The plenary sessions at this meeting will be streamed through a live webcast. Details about the webcast are available on the ONC website: http://healthit.hhs.gov/ONCMeeting2010.

Thank you in advance for joining us at the 2010 ONC Update Meeting and for supporting our vision of a higher quality, safer, and more efficient health care system enabled by health information technology.

Sincerely,
David Blumenthal, MD, MPP
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) encourages you to share this information as we work together to enhance the quality, safety and value of care and the health of all Americans through the use of electronic health records and health information technology.

For more information and to receive regular updates from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, please subscribe to  ONC’s Health IT News list.

Two New EHR Testing and Certification Labs; CHPL List shows Additional Software Required

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ONC Site Reflects Changes: Additional Test Labs and Additional Software
Two new ONC-Authorized Testing and Certification Bodies (ATCBs) were authorized on December 10, 2010 to test and certify complete EHRs and EHR modules: Mechanicsburg, PA-based ICSA Labs and Denver, CO-based SLI Global Solutions.

Also, the CHPL list or Certified HIT Product List which “provides the authoritative, comprehensive listing of Complete EHRs and EHR Modules that have been tested and certified under the Temporary Certification Program” has been modified to reflect “additional software required.” While most of the additional software required impacts ambulatory systems, it also impacts a number of  Inpatient systems. Email software appears to be the most needed software. In many cases additional components by the vendor are required as well. This area of additional software needs to be further reviewed by this blog and purchasers. The latest list is dated December 4, 2010, but was accessed on December 11, 2010.

ONC-Authorized Testing and Certification Bodies
Excerpted from Office of National Coordinator for Health IT site on 12/11/2010
The following organizations have been selected as ONC-Authorized Testing and Certification Bodies (ATCBs):
  • ICSA Labs – Mechanicsburg PA
    Date of authorization: December 10, 2010.
    Scope of authorization: Complete EHR and EHR Modules.
  • SLI Global Solutions – Denver CO
    Date of authorization: December 10, 2010.
    Scope of authorization: Complete EHR and EHR Modules.
  • Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) – Chicago, Ill.
    Date of authorization: September 3, 2010.
    Scope of authorization: Complete EHR and EHR Modules.
  • Drummond Group, Inc. (DGI) – Austin, Texas.
    Date of authorization: September 3, 2010.
    Scope of authorization: Complete EHR and EHR Modules.
  • InfoGard Laboratories, Inc. – San Luis Obispo, CA
    Date of authorization: September 24, 2010.
    Scope of authorization: Complete EHR and EHR Modules.

The organizations listed above have been authorized to perform Complete EHR and/or EHR Module testing and certification. These ONC-ATCBs are required to test and certify EHRs to the applicable certification criteria adopted by the Secretary under subpart C of Part 170 Part II and Part III as stipulated in the Standards and Certification Criteria Final Rule.

Certification by an ATCB will signify to eligible professionals, hospitals, and critical access hospitals that an EHR technology has the capabilities necessary to support their efforts to meet the goals and objectives of meaningful use.

Learn more about ONC-ATCBs:

Beacon Community Videos: ‘Improving Health Through Health Information Technology’ Posted on ONC site

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‘Improving Health Through Health Information Technology’
Video, description and Web site of each Beacon Community Program Awardee by the Office of the National Coordinator(ONC)  for Health IT’ was posted on ONC’s site on December 8.

“The Beacon Community Cooperative Agreement Program provides funding to 17 selected communities throughout the United States that have already made inroads in the development of secure, private, and accurate systems of electronic health record (EHR) adoption and health information exchange. The Beacon Program will support these communities to build and strengthen their health information technology (health IT) infrastructure and exchange capabilities to improve care coordination, increase the quality of care, and slow the growth of health care spending.”

Beacon Community Program

Beacon Community Program

These are excerpts accessed on December 9, 2010:

The 17 Beacon Communities will focus on specific and measurable improvement goals in the three vital areas for health systems improvement: quality, cost-efficiency, and population health, to demonstrate the ability of health IT to transform local health care systems. The goals vary according to the needs and priorities of each community. For instance, some communities will focus in the care for chronic conditions such as asthma, heart failure, and diabetes to illustrate how costs can be reduced and patient care improved through the collection, analysis, and sharing of clinical data.

Beacon Communities

Listed below are the 17 Beacon Communities, their awards, and snapshot of their goals. To view further information about a specific Beacon Community, click the name of the community.

Beacon Community

Award Amount

Goal
Bangor Beacon Community, Brewer, ME $12,749,740 Improve the health of patients with diabetes, lung disease, heart disease, and asthma by enhancing care management; improving access to, and use of, adult immunization data; preventing unnecessary ED visits and re-admissions to hospitals; and facilitating access to patient records using health information technology.
Beacon Community of the Inland Northwest, Spokane, WA $15,702,479 Increase care coordination for patients with diabetes in rural areas and expand the existing health information exchange to provide a higher level of connectivity throughout the region.
Central Indiana Beacon Community, Indianapolis, IN $16,008,431 Expand the country’s largest Health Information Exchange to new community providers in order to improve cholesterol and blood sugar control for diabetic patients and reduce preventable re-admissions through telemonitoring of high risk chronic disease patients after hospital discharge.
Colorado Beacon Community, Grand Junction, CO $11,878,279 Demonstrate how costs can be reduced and patient care improved, through the collection, analysis, and sharing of clinical data, and the redesign of primary care practices and clinics.
Crescent City Beacon Community, New Orleans, LA $13,525,434 Reduce racial health disparities and improve control of diabetes and smoking cessation rates by linking technically isolated health systems, providers, and hospitals; and empower patients by increasing their access to Personal Health Records.
Delta BLUES Beacon Community, Stoneville, MS $14,666,156 Improve access to care for diabetic patients through the meaningful use of electronic health records and health information exchange by primary care providers in the Mississippi Delta, and increase the efficiency of health care in the area by reducing excess health care costs for patients with diabetes through the use of electronic health record.
Greater Cincinnati Beacon Community, Cincinnati, OH $13,775,630 Develop new quality improvement and care coordination initiatives focusing on patients with pediatric asthma, adult diabetes, and encouraging smoking cessation, and provide better clinical information and IT “decision support” tools to physicians, health systems, federally qualified health centers, and critical access hospitals.
Greater Tulsa Health Access Network Beacon Community, Tulsa, OK $12,043,948 Leverage broad community partnerships with hospitals, providers, payers, and government agencies to expand a community-wide care coordination system, which will increase appropriate referrals for cancer screenings, decrease unnecessary specialist visits and (with telemedicine) increase access to care for patients with diabetes.
Hawaii County Beacon Community, Hilo, HI $16,091,390 Improve the health of the Hawaii Island residents through implementation of a series of healthcare system improvements and interventions across independent hospitals, physicians and physician groups. Engaging patients in their own healthcare is also a primary focus.
Keystone Beacon Community, Danville, PA $16,069,110 Establish community-wide care coordination through the expanded availability and use of health information technology for both clinicians and patients in a five-county area to enhance care for patients with pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure.
Rhode Island Beacon Community, Providence, RI $15,914,787 Improve the management of care through several health information technology initiatives to support Rhode Island’s transition to the Patient Centered Medical Home model, which create systems to measure and report processes and outcomes that drive improved quality, reduce health care costs, and improve health outcomes.
San Diego Beacon Community, San Diego, CA $15,275,115 Expand electronic health information exchange to enable providers to improve medical care decisions and overall care quality, to empower patients to engage in their own health management, and to reduce unnecessary and redundant testing.
Southeast Michigan Beacon Community, Detroit, MI $16,224,370 Make long-term, sustainable improvements in the quality and efficiency of diabetes care through leveraging existing and new technologies across health care settings, and providing practical support to help clinicians, nurses, and other health professionals make the best use of electronic health data.
Southeastern Minnesota Beacon Community, Rochester, MN $12,284,770 Enhance patient care management, reduce costs associated with hospitalization and emergency services for patients with diabetes and childhood asthma, and reduce health disparities for underserved populations and rural communities.
Southern Piedmont Beacon Community, Concord, NC $15,907,622 Increase use health information technology, including health information exchange among providers and increased patient access to health records to improve coordination of care, encourage patient involvement in their own medical care, and improve health outcomes while controlling cost.
Utah Beacon Community, Salt Lake City, UT $15,790,181 Improve the management and coordination of care for patients with diabetes and other life-threatening conditions, decrease unnecessary costs in the health care system, and improve public health.
Western New York Beacon Community, Buffalo, NY $16,092,485 Expand the Western New York network, close gaps in service, and improve health outcomes for patients with diabetes.

ONC 2010 Update Webcast: Dec 14-15, 2010

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Save the Date: ONC 2010 Update Webcast
December 14-15, 2010
Received via email from Office of National Coordinator (ONC) for Health IT on 12/8/2010:
To participate in the Webcast, click here. No pre-registration required.

Please join the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) for a live webcast of plenary sessions as part of the 2010 ONC Update on December 14-15, 2010.

Ten sessions, offered over the two-day period, will provide an overview of programs brought about by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act to help participants gain a better understanding of how these programs will address barriers and support providers in achieving meaningful use.

The sessions will also provide an overview of ONC’s vision and strategy for improving health and health care through information technology and will offer a detailed look at key elements of ONC and related HHS programs, including:

• Overview of HITECH programs designed to support providers in achieving meaningful use, including the extension center program and ONC’s many workforce development programs

• Update on privacy regulations and activities in the Office of the Chief Privacy Officer

• Overview of the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs

• Strategies for getting to health information exchange

• Promoting patient-centered care delivery by empowering consumers and engaging the public

• Strategies for improving care and population health

• Encouraging innovation, rapid learning and technological advancement

Speakers include:

• Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary

• David Blumenthal, MD, MPP, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, ONC

• Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM, Deputy National Coordinator for Programs and Policy, ONC

• Joy Pritts, JD, HHS Chief Privacy Officer, ONC

• Don Berwick, MD, Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

• Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• Todd Park, Chief Technology Officer, HHS

• Other Health IT leaders and professionals

An agenda of the meeting is available at http://healthit.hhs.gov/ONCMeeting2010 [or see below].

To participate in the Webcast, click here. No pre-registration required.

2010 ONC Update – Meeting Agenda

December 14 – 15, 2010
Available via Live Webcast [Details to come]

Information on how to participate in the webcast will be posted on the agenda before the meeting.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

8:30 – 9:00 am Opening Remarks
Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Introduction by David Blumenthal, MD, MPP
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), HHS

9:00 – 9:45 am
An Overview of ONC’s Vision and the Role of Health IT and HITECH in Health System Change and Health Care Reform
David Blumenthal, MD, MPP
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, ONC

Donald Berwick, MD
Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS

9:45 – 10:15 am
An Overview of ONC’s Strategy and Programs
Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM, Deputy National Coordinator for Programs and Policy, ONC

10:15 – 11:00 am
Break

11:00 – 12:15 pm
Update on Privacy Regulations and Activities in the Office of the Chief Privacy Officer
Joy Pritts, JD, HHS Chief Privacy Officer, ONC

12:15 – 12:30 pm
Break

12:30 – 2:00 pm
Getting to Health Information Exchange
Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM, Deputy National Coordinator for Programs and Policy, ONC
Doug Fridsma, MD, PhD, Director, Office of Standards and Interoperability, ONC
Claudia Williams, Acting Director, State Health Information Exchange Program, ONC

2:00 – 2:15 pm
Break

2:15 – 3:30 pm
An Overview of HITECH Programs Supporting Providers in Achieving Meaningful Use

Moderator:
Mat Kendall, Director, Office of Provider Adoption and Support, ONC

Panelists:
Paul Kleeberg, MD, Clinical Director, REACH
Robyn Leone, Regional Extension Center Director, Colorado Regional Health Information Organization
Norma Morganti, Executive Director, Midwest Community College Health IT Consortium, led by Cuyahoga Community College
Rick Shoup, Director, Massachusetts eHealth Institute

3:30 – 3:45 pm
Break

3:45 – 5:00 pm
An Overview of Medicare and Medicaid Incentive Programs

Moderator:
Michelle Mills, CMS

Panelists:
Robert Anthony, CMS
Elizabeth Holland, CMS
Jessica Kahn, CMS

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

9:30 – 10:45 am
Promoting Patient-Centered Care Delivery by Empowering Consumers, Engaging the Public

Moderator:
Joshua Seidman, PhD, Director, Meaningful Use, ONC

Panelists:
Christine Bechtel, Vice President, National Partnership for Women and Families
Silas Buchanan, Director of E-Health Initiatives, The Cave Institute
Tom Sellers, MPA, President and Chief Executive Officer, 11-Year Cancer Survivor, National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship

10:45 – 1:00 pm
Break

1:00 – 1:45 pm
The Role of HITECH in Supporting Public Health Goals
Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS

2:00 – 3:15 pm
Encouraging Innovation: Rapid Learning and Technological Advancement
Todd Park, Chief Technology Officer, HHS

3:15 – 3:30 pm
Break|

3:30 – 4:00 pm
Closing Remarks
Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM, Deputy National Coordinator for Programs and Policy, ONC

Michigan, Nebraska brings to Eleven, No. of Strategic & Operational Plans Approved by ONC; Eight of which ONC has posted

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Plans Approved for California, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah
Versions of ten of eleven state plans are publicly available.”
See updated list–15 state plans–on e-Healthcare Marketing post from December 18, 2010.
These plans and dates were excerpted on December 8, 2010 from Office of National Coordinator (ONC) for Health IT’s “State HIE Toolkit.” These are from section called “Planning Examples & Case Studies.”

“The State HIE Toolkit is a compilation of resources provided under the auspices of the State HIE Program sponsored by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC).”

Examples of ONC approved Strategic and Operational Plans:

  1. New Mexico Strategic and Operational Plan V2 (update posted 5/18/10) 
  2. Utah Strategic and Operational Plan (posted 5/18/10)
  3. Maryland Strategic and Operational Plan (posted 6/10/10)
  4. Tennessee Gap Analysis and Strategic and Operational Plans (posted 10/1/10)
  5. South Carolina Strategic and Operational Plans (posted 10/5/10)
  6. Texas Strategic and Operational Plan (posted 12/1/10)
  7. Nebraska Strategic and Operational Plans (posted 12/7/10)
  8. Michigan Strategic and Operational Plans and Amendment (posted 12/7/10)

States/SDEs with Approved Strategic and Operational Plans
Updated 12/8/10
Both California and Maine plans, while not yet posted by ONC, have been previously posted on e-Healthcare Marketing. (See link at bottom of this post.) Still need to ascertain if the California and Maine plans posted on e-Healthcare Marketing are final approved plans.

State Date Approved Date Posted Documents
California 6/16/2010 Will be posted soon  
Delaware 5/17/2010 Will be posted soon  
Maine 8/16/10 Will be posted soon  
Maryland 5/14/10 6/10/10
New Mexico 1/25/10 5/18/10
South Carolina 8/30/10 10/5/10
Tennessee 9/17/10 10/1/10
Utah 5/12/10 5/18/10
Texas 11/3/10 12/1/10
Nebraska   12/7/10
Michigan   12/7/10

See e-Healthcare Marketing post for 31 State Health Information Exchange Plans, last updated on November 21, 2010. The Nov 21 update still needs to be reviewed and revised based on plan revisions not yet captured in that post.