Blumenthal highlights IT advances for 2010

December 28, 2010 | Molly Merrill, Associate Editor

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WASHINGTON – "This year, significant strides were made in health information technology," David Blumenthal, MD, the national health IT coordinator, wrote in his blog detailing health IT achievements for 2010.

The achievements were discussed earlier in the month at the 2010 ONC Update, which was held in conjunction with 2010 ONC Grantee Meeting, said Blumenthal, and brought together for the first time the awardees of all of the ONC programs, including the Beacon Communities Program, Regional Extension Center Program, SHARP Program, State Health Information Exchange Program, and the many Workforce Development Programs.

Blumenthal highlighted the following health IT advancements:

Five approved testing and certification bodies (ATCBs): Surescripts, ICSA Labs, SLI Global Solutions, InfoGard Laboratories, Inc., CCHIT and Drummond Group, Inc. , have so far certified more than 200 records and modules
30,000 physicians, as of this week, have enrolled in a regional extension center. There are a total of 62 RECs across the country that are helping doctors adopt EHRs.
56 states and territories have been provided with planning grants from the State Health Information Exchange Program. More than 20 of these states and territories have approved implementation plans, with new implementation plans approved every day.
17 Beacon Communities are now in place serving as models for health IT use
3,400 people have enrolled in community college programs and more than 400 in University‑Based Training Programs focused on health information technology.

"As we look to 2011, there will be many challenges. Driving change is hard. And it takes leadership, commitment and the ability to move forward – despite the many obstacles that each of you will encounter," said Bluementhal.

" I hope your sense of contributing something unique to healthcare and the American people – for most certainly you are – balances the incredibly hard work that you are undertaking. Someday you will look back and realize that you were present at the creation of something big," he said.