WASHINGTON – A collaborative attitude is the common thread that unites the 12 communities selected to participate in a national Medicare Electronic Health Record demonstration project, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt.

Leavitt and Kerry Weems, acting administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, announced the winning communities Tuesday. They were selected from more than 30 that applied and include single cities, states and, in one case, a region.

They are:

• Alabama;
• Delaware;
• Jacksonville, Fla.;
• Georgia;
• Maine;
• Louisiana;
• Maryland and the Washington, D.C. area;
• Oklahoma;
• Pittsburgh;
• South Dakota;
• Virginia;
• and Madison, Wis.

Phase 1 of the project will involve Louisiana, Maryland and the Washington D.C. area, Pittsburgh and South Dakota.

Leavitt said government officials looked for communities that are demonstrating a commitment to all stakeholders and have close ties to the physician community. Critical, he said, is a collaborative spirit.

"Collaboration is key to implementing EHRs," he said.