ANN ARBOR, MI – The Michigan Center for Effective IT Adoption (M-CEITA) announced Friday that more than 3,724 primary care providers in Michigan have committed to adopting electronic health records.
This represents a commitment by almost one-quarter of primary care providers in the state to work with M-CEITA, Michigan’s federally designated Health IT Regional Extension Center (REC), to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs as a way to transition from paper records to EHRs.
[See also: Physicians must learn how to put patients in the center.]
M-CEITA, founded in 2010 with a $19 million grant to the nonprofit Altarum Institute, helps Michigan healthcare providers adopt certified EHR systems by providing unbiased information and support to navigate the complex EHR marketplace. M-CEITA also received support from the Kresge Foundation.
“We have witnessed, firsthand, providers making significant strides in switching to an electronically enabled practice,” said Dan Armijo, director of M-CEITA. “The 3,724 providers who have partnered with our REC are leading the way for Michigan’s medical community in meeting the meaningful use EHR criteria, ultimately leading to improved patient healthcare.”
At the ONC Annual Meeting on November 17, 2011, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology announced that the nationwide network of 62 RECs, of which M-CEITA is a part, achieved one of its first major milestones – gaining commitments from 100,000 PCPs to adopt electronic health records in a meaningful way
[See also: HHS extends MU Stage 2 deadline to spur faster EMR adoption.]
Officials of the Michigan REC will continue through the end of 2011 to sign up providers for REC services, the achievement of this milestone represents the closure of M-CEITA’s enrollment period, as M-CEITA’s federal funding currently subsidizes technical assistance to only 3,724 primary care physicians in Michigan.
M-CEITA will shift its focus to helping existing clients achieve the meaningful use of health IT necessary to qualify for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs, officials said. Interested providers who miss the sign-up window may join a waiting list for M-CEITA services.
Follow Diana Manos on Twitter @DManos_IT_News.
