CARROLLTON, GA--
- A study of 2,368 acute care institutions published by the Journal of Health Affairs in October and funded by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that facilities serving low-income patients have lower levels of EHR adoption than national averages, citing cost as the main obstacle of implementation.
- The Regional Centers will focus their most intensive technical assistance on clinicians (physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners) furnishing primary-care services with a particular emphasis on individual and small group practices (fewer than 10 clinicians with prescriptive privileges). Regional Centers will also focus intensive technical assistance on clinicians providing primary care in public and critical access hospitals, community health centers and in other settings that predominantly serve uninsured, underinsured, and medically underserved populations.
- Regional Extension Center Grants will be awarded in three cycles: two in 2009 and one in 2010. REC applicants must provide details on how they will help providers with EHR vendor selection, system implementation, workflow design, interoperability issues, information exchange and provide on-site technical assistance to providers.
- Greenway Medical Technologies has launched a series of informational Regional Extension Center webinars to supplement an overview of the HITECH program and its provisions at www.greenwaymedical.com. Information on upcoming webinars and general information can be obtained by emailing REC@greenwaymedical.com.