Additional $162 Million to Health IT – Boon for Health Industry

Facilitated health information exchange and advance health information technology can result into improved health care. Acknowledging the same fact, Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has announced awards to help states facilitate health information exchange and advance health information technology (health IT).

 

This award is part of $2 billion effort to realize widespread meaningful use of health IT and supply use of an electronic health record by every citizen by the year 2014. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has decided to award funds to every state and eligible territory under this program.

 

According to Secretary Sebelius, “These critical investments will help unleash the power of health information technology to cut costs, eliminate paperwork, and help doctors deliver high-quality, coordinated care to patients,”. She continues “States are important partners in improving and expanding our electronic health records system. By improving the secure exchange of electronic health records between providers and hospitals within and across states, these awards mark a significant step in bringing our health system into the 21st century.”

 

Approximately, an amount of $162 million has been decided to be given to 16 states and qualified state designated entities (SDEs) to facilitate non-proprietary health information exchange that adheres to national standards. 

 

According to Dr. David Blumenthal, national coordinator for health information technology, this “announcement of awards to 16 states and SDEs marks a significant milestone with all states now empowered to start their journey towards identifying innovative ways to break down theses barriers that prevent the seamless exchange of information, so that we can give patients the access to care they deserve and expect”.

 

A listing of the state HIE competitive agreements announced today follow:

 

For additional information about the state HIE program, go to http://healthit.hhs.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=1488&parentname=CommunityPage&parentid=2&mode=2&in_hi_userid=10741&cached=true and http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/sebelius-solis-announce-nearly-1-billion-recovery-act-investment-advancing-use-heal