FLINT, MI – Thanks to federal grant money, the Hamilton Community Health Network (HCHN), a 25-physician, six-campus practice serving Flint, Mich. – an area that has been particularly hit hard by the economic crisis – will be able to implement an electronic medical record.

HCHN plans to go live with GE Healthcare's Centricity Practice for Community Health Centers in early 2010 with grant money received from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

2008 U.S. Census Data shows that Flint's poverty rate sits at 35.5 percent, tied for the fifth highest among the country's medium- and large-sized communities. According to the Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce, one in four residents of Genesee County, Hamilton's primary service area, lacks health insurance.

Through ARRA, the Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded grants totaling more than $2 million to HCHN for capital improvements, including the adoption of an EMR.

"We are so fortunate to have the federal funding in place to make an investment like this," said Clarence Pierce, the CEO of HCHN. "We had been searching for an EMR for some time, but with this infusion from HRSA we were able to choose a solution provider for the long term. The stability of GE and their commitment to improving healthcare access and quality were a key part of our decision. With Centricity, we're able to bring in a CCHIT-certified EMR system that can measurably improve our workflow and the level of care we're able to offer the patients that rely upon our centers each year. We look forward to working with GE on the implementation, which will enable us to continue to serve the people in our communities during a time of extreme economic strife."

HCHN will replace its existing practice management system with GE's integrated clinical and financial solution for community health centers. GE will also provide the network with tools to support its expanded data collection needs, UDS and Title X reporting requirements, CHC-specific billing demands and hardware for its soon-to-open data center.

"This is a market that needs our attention and a vulnerable patient population that cannot be ignored," said Vishal Wanchoo, CEO of GE Healthcare Information Technology. "We're pleased to be working with a leader like Hamilton and helping them to provide the care their community so desperately needs."