The benefits of health information technology can be especially important for patients and clinicians in small and rural health care facilities, yet these facilities face high hurdles as they look toward joining in the transition to electronic information. On September 10, 2010 HHS provided 46 Regional Extension Centers with additional funding to assist rural critical access hospitals and rural hospitals (see Background on critical access hospitals) with less than 50 beds in selecting and implementing certified EHR systems. Some 1,655 critical access and rural hospitals in 41 states and the nationwide Indian Country, headquartered in the District of Columbia stand to benefit from this special assistance.
On February 7, 2011, HHS awarded $12 million in supplemental funding to existing RECs to support eligible critical access and rural hospitals in their efforts to adopt certified EHR technology.
This funding is new and aimed specifically at assisting critical access and rural hospitals with their particular needs and challenges. It will build upon the substantial base HHS has already built to provide assistance to health care providers throughout the country as they transition to EHRs. By converting to certified EHR technology, these facilities can qualify for substantial additional incentive payments from Medicare or Medicaid. It highlights HHS’s effort in supporting rural providers and small practices to achieve meaningful use.
RECs receiving the CAH/rural hospitals awards are:
(click on column headers to sort table)
|
Grant Recipient Name
|
Regional Extension Center (REC)
|
REC State Coverage
|
Award Amount
(September 10, 2010)
|
Supplemental Award Amount
(February 8, 2011)
|
|
Alaska eHealth Network
|
Alaska eHealth Network
|
Alaska
|
$168,000
|
$84,000
|
|
Alabama Regional Extension Center
|
Alabama Regional Extension Center
|
Alabama
|
$432,000
|
$216,000
|
|
Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care, Inc.
|
HIT Arkansas
|
Arkansas
|
$420,000
|
$210,000
|
|
Arizona Health-e Connection (AzHeC)
|
Arizona Health-e Connection (AzHeC)
|
Arizona
|
$240,000
|
$120,000
|
|
California Regional Extension Center (North) — CalHIPSO (North)
|
California Regional Extension Center (North) — CalHIPSO (North)
|
California
|
$336,000
|
$168,000
|
|
California Regional Extension Center (South) — CalHIPSO (South)
|
California Regional Extension Center (South) — CalHIPSO (South)
|
California
|
$180,000
|
$90,000
|
|
Colorado Regional Health Information Organization (CORHIO)
|
Colorado Regional Extension Center
|
Colorado
|
$456,000
|
$228,000
|
|
National Indian Health Board (NIHB)
|
National Indian Health Board (NIHB)
|
Serving the nationwide Indian Country, headquartered in the District of Columbia
|
$312,000
|
$156,000
|
|
Community Health Centers Alliance, Inc.
|
Center for the Advancement of Health IT (Rural and North Florida Regional Extension Center)
|
Florida
|
$168,000
|
$84,000
|
|
Health Choice Network of Florida, Inc.
|
South Florida Regional Extension Center Collaborative
|
Florida
|
$36,000
|
$18,000
|
|
Morehouse School of Medicine
|
Georgia HITREC
|
Georgia
|
-
|
$1,008,000
|
|
Health Information Exchange
|
Hawaii-Pacific REC
|
Hawaii, and the Pacific territories of Guam, American Samoa, and CNMI
|
$144,000
|
$72,000
|
|
IFMC
|
Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (Iowa HITREC)
|
Iowa
|
$1,044,000
|
$522,000
|
|
Northern Illinois University
|
Illinois Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (IL-HITREC)
|
Illinois
|
$720,000
|
$360,000
|
|
Purdue University
|
Purdue University
|
Indiana
|
$396,000
|
$192,000
|
|
Kansas Foundation for Medical Care, Inc. (KFMC)
|
Kansas Foundation for Medical Care, Inc. (KFMC)
|
Kansas
|
$1,140,000
|
$570,000
|
|
University of Kentucky Research Foundation
|
University of Kentucky Research Foundation
|
Kentucky
|
$360,000
|
$180,000
|
|
Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum
|
Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum
|
Louisiana
|
$768,000
|
$384,000
|
|
Massachusetts Technology Park Corporation
|
Massachusetts Technology Park Corporation
|
Massachusetts
|
$132,000
|
$66,000
|
|
HealthInfoNet
|
HealthInfoNet
|
Maine
|
$264,000
|
$132,000
|
|
Altarum Institute
|
Michigan Center for Effective IT Adoption (M-CEITA)
|
Michigan
|
$432,000
|
$216,000
|
|
Stratis Health
|
Regional Extension Assistance Center for Health Information Technology (REACH)
|
Minnesota
North Dakota
|
$1,488,000
|
$744,000
|
|
The Curators of the University of Missouri
|
Missouri HIT Assistance Center
|
Missouri
|
$660,000
|
$330,000
|
|
eQHealth Solutions, Inc.
|
Mississippi Regional Extension Center
|
Mississippi
|
$540,000
|
$270,000
|
|
Mountain-Pacific Quality Health Foundation (MPQHF)
|
Mountain-Pacific Quality Health Foundation (MPQHF)
|
Montana
Wyoming
|
$816,000
|
$408,000
|
|
CIMRO of Nebraska
|
Wide River Technology Extension Center
|
Nebraska
|
$120,000
|
$1,068,000
|
|
Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative, Inc.
|
New Hampshire REC
|
New Hampshire
|
-
|
$234,000
|
|
Lovelace Clinic Foundation-LCF Research
|
Lovelace Clinic Foundation-LCF Research
|
New Mexico
|
$204,000
|
$102,000
|
|
New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC)
|
New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC)
|
New York
|
$120,000
|
$60,000
|
|
Greater Cincinnati Health Bridge
|
HealthBridge Tri-State REC*
|
Ohio
Indiana
Kentucky
|
$288,000
|
$144,000
|
|
Ohio Health Information Partnership (OHIP)
|
Ohio Health Information Partnership (OHIP)
|
Ohio
|
$516,000
|
$258,000
|
|
Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality, Inc. (OFMQ)
|
Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality, Inc. (OFMQ)
|
Oklahoma
|
$744,000
|
$372,000
|
|
OCHIN, Inc.
|
O-HITEC
|
Oregon
|
$384,000
|
$192,000
|
|
Quality Insights of Pennsylvania, Inc. (Eastern)
|
Quality Insights of Pennsylvania, Inc. (Eastern)
|
Pennsylvania
|
$180,000
|
$90,000
|
|
Quality Insights of Pennsylvania, Inc. (Western)
|
Quality Insights of Pennsylvania, Inc. (Western)
|
Pennsylvania
|
$144,000
|
$72,000
|
|
South Carolina Research Foundation
|
Center for Information Technology Implementation Assistance in South Carolina (CITIA-SC)
|
South Carolina
|
$156,000
|
$78,000
|
|
Dakota State University
|
healthPOINT
|
South Dakota
|
$576,000
|
$288,000
|
|
Qsource
|
Qsource
|
Tennessee
|
$480,000
|
$240,000
|
|
Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council Education and Research Foundation
|
North Texas REC
|
Texas
|
$108,000
|
$54,000
|
|
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
|
West Texas Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (WT-HITREC)
|
Texas
|
$912,000
|
$456,000
|
|
The TAMUS Health Science Center Research Foundation
|
CentrEast Regional Extension Center
|
Texas
|
$384,000
|
$192,000
|
|
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
|
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
|
Texas
|
$612,000
|
$306,000
|
|
HealthInsight
|
HealthInsight
|
Utah
Nevada
|
$480,000
|
$234,000
|
|
VHQC (Virginia Health Quality Center)
|
VHQC (Virginia Health Quality Center)
|
Virginia
|
$84,000
|
$42,000
|
|
Vermont Information Technology Leaders
|
Vermont Information Technology Leaders
|
Vermont
|
$108,000
|
$54,000
|
|
Qualis Health
|
Washington & Idaho Regional Extension Center (WIREC)**
|
Washington
Idaho
|
$564,000
|
$282,000
|
|
MetaStar, Inc.
|
Wisconsin Health Information Technology Extension Center
|
Wisconsin
|
$828,000
|
$414,000
|
|
West Virginia Health Improvement Institute, Inc.
|
West Virginia Health Improvement Institute, Inc.
|
West Virginia
|
$204,000
|
$102,000
|
|
|
|
TOTAL ALL AWARDS
|
$19,848,000
|
$12,162,000
|
*HealthBridge is the Regional Extension Center for select areas in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. The CAH/rural hospital award to HealthBridge is for critical access and rural hospitals in these areas.
**WIREC is the Washington-Idaho Regional Extension Center which services providers in both Idaho and Washington. The CAH/rural hospital award to WIREC is for critical access and rural hospitals in Idaho and Washington.
Information & Resources
2011/03/04 |
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Feature
Putting the I in Health IT
Visit healthIT.gov to learn more about how health IT is helping patients, doctors, and stakeholders get the information they need, empowering them to make changes, and improving the nation's health.
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