Funding for Technology Adoption Available to Help Oregon Doctors Deliver Better Care
Health Information Collaborative Announces Applications for 2008 Grants
Grants of up to $20,000 each will be awarded to physician clinics and hospitals in Oregon to support greater use of electronic medical record systems. Generally, grants will be awarded to smaller physician practices and hospitals in rural areas throughout the state. This is the third year that funds will be awarded by the Health Information Collaborative, a public-private partnership based in Seattle. The program is sponsored by First Choice Health/Healthcare Direct, which is providing the funding for Oregon health care providers, and by the Puget Sound Health Alliance, Qualis Health and the Washington State Health Care Authority.
Applications for the awards will be accepted from health care providers throughout Oregon, as well as those in Alaska, Idaho and Washington. Eligible applicants must be contracted participants in the First Choice Health/Healthcare Direct network. The awards will be presented this fall. Inquiries and applications for funding are being accepted now. Application information is available on the Collaborative’s Website at www.WaHealthInfoCollaborative.org .
The grants are intended to promote great patient safety and quality of care by helping doctors and other health practitioners transition away from old- fashioned, inefficient paper recordkeeping. Using electronic medical records and patient registry software within clinics and hospitals benefits patients and providers. Examples include enabling doctors to instantly and securely access all needed information in a patient's medical history. Such technology can also automatically send reminders and alerts to doctors and patients about preventive tests and services or other care important for effective management of chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Clinics and hospitals also use such technology to look at aggregated data across all of their patients to improve overall quality and to answer questions such as "What percentage of my patients with diabetes had a foot exam within the past year?"
The Collaborative's mission is to improve the quality of patient care through the use of information technology. In addition to the 2008 funding provided by First Choice Health/Healthcare Direct, Qualis Health provides technical guidance to eligible award recipients. The Puget Sound Health Alliance and the Washington State Health Care Authority provide key administrative support for the program. "We all expect this program to grow, with additional employers and other purchasers, government agencies and others contributing to the improvement of our region's health technology infrastructure," addedDr. Young of First Choice Health/Healthcare Direct. Completed applications will be accepted until July 31, 2008. The final awards will be announced in October 2008.
First Choice Health/Healthcare Direct ( www.fchn.com ) is a regionally-based hospital andphysician owned company that provides health care services to nearly one million members in Oregon, Washington and other parts of the Pacific Northwest. The company emphasizes quality health care, public service, and bringing technology to benefit health care practitioners and patients.
The Washington State Health Care Authority ( www.hca.wa.gov ) is an independent cabinet level agency. It administers health programs that provide access to high-quality health care for more than 500,000 Washington residents, including 316,000 state and local government employeesand 128,000 enrollees in Basic Health, a state-subsidized program for low-income families.
The Puget Sound Health Care Alliance ( www.pugetsoundhealthalliance.org ) is a private, non-profit organization serving the five metropolitan counties of the central Puget Sound region: King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish and Thurston counties. The Alliance is a collaborative effort of those who provide, pay for, and use health care services, all working together to improve the quality of patient care for a healthier community, at a price more people can afford.
Qualis Health ( www.qualishealth.org ) is dedicated to improving the quality of healthcare deliveryand health outcomes for individuals and populations across the nation. In operation since 1974, the non-profit, healthcare quality improvement organization (QIO) is headquartered in Seattle, Washington and has offices in Idaho, Nebraska, California, South Carolina and Alaska.