The government has released the names of the 15 communities across the country from Maine to Hawaii that will serve as models for the broad use of healthcare information technology under a $220 million program aimed at improving care and efficiency – and creating new jobs.
Starting Thursday, residents of the nation's 50th state were able to connect with their doctors online through the Hawaii Medical Service Association's new Online Care service. Available via the Internet or telephone and to all residents of the state regardless of membership with HMSA, the service offers 10-minute online sessions with a credentialed participating physician for a flat fee ranging from $10 to $45.
The Hawaii Island Beacon Community is spearheading a practice redesign program for up to 30 independent primary care physician practices into patient-centered medical homes (PCMH).
Hawaii Island Beacon Community has awarded a $680,000 contract to North Hawaii Community Hospital to implement a health information exchange throughout the North Hawaii region.
The government will invest $224 million to help at-risk families receive home visits from nurses and social workers to improve maternal and child health and child development. The home visiting programs are underpinned by information technology, especially data collection and analytics.
Eighty-five community health center programs, located in 15 of the 17 Beacon Communities nationwide, were awarded $8.5 million on Monday to aid with the adoption of health IT to support long-term improvements in quality of care, health outcomes and cost efficiencies.
The American Diabetes Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are working with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) in an effort to inform a nationwide program to increase the use of health information technology.
The 17 Beacon Communities, stretching from Maine to Hawaii, are celebrating their first anniversary. While much progress has been made, it is clear that this is "a journey of quality improvement that never ends," as one expert put it.
As my interest in electronic medical records, especially in the pediatric realm, has grown alongside the weight and height of my young children, I did a little digging to see just how large the pediatric-specific EMR market has become.
Shareable Ink, a Nashville-based healthcare IT company, announced that providers at River Park Hospital in McMinnville, Tenn. are utilizing the company’s digital pen and paper technology to document anesthesia cases.
In a report that found states are showing the highest scores ever for health emergency preparedness, health IT is seen as a major indicator. Experts, however, caution that in order for states to close the gap on existing vulnerabilities an "ongoing investment to rebuild and modernize our public health system" is required.
Massachusetts ranks first in the nation when it comes to the use of electronic prescribing, announced officials Tuesday at the Fifth Annual Safe-Rx Awards held on Capitol Hill. Nationwide the number of physicians using e-prescribing has grown to 200,000.
Critical access and rural hospitals will benefit from nearly $20 million in new technical support assistance to help them convert from paper-based medical records to certified electronic health record technology, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced Friday.
"The IT aspect of medical marijuana is only just being approached," says John Lee, founder of Boyes Hot Springs, Calif.-based Plainview Systems, a new online service that allows qualified patients to "create virtual collectives and, through those collectives, buy, sell and trade marijuana goods, products and services."
With $220 million in hand among them, federally designated Beacon Communities across the country have begun the work of using healthcare information technology to do great things for their communities.
Across the nation, in communities large and small, health information technology innovators are boldly leading the way toward the adoption and meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs).
The Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA), the Blue Cross Blue Shield plan of the Aloha State, will become the first health plan to deploy American Well's new Online Care Team Edition. The new service will bring live, on-demand specialist care consultations into primary care docs' exam rooms – reducing the delay, inconvenience and cost associated with the traditional patient referral process.
