Birmingham, AL – EHS (www.ehsmed.com), a Birmingham-based company specializing in electronic health record (EHR) and physician practice management software systems, is pleased to announce that the State of Iowa’s Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (HITREC) concluded its vetting process of more than 200 EHR products to produce a list of six Iowa Preferred Vendors. The IFMC HITREC is confident the selected few have the ability to help smaller primary care practices achieve the federal requirements for meaningful use of EHR and receive incentive payments of up to $48,400-63,750 under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
“Our robust vetting process is a great service for Iowa practices that do not have the time or the resources to conduct their own evaluations. We are confident the vendors on our list can help providers achieve meaningful use and receive incentive payments,” says Kim Downs, senior director of operations, IFMC. “We provide consultation and technical assistance. The purchase decision remains with the individual practice.”
“Meaningful use” of electronic health records was just defined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on July 13, 2010. Starting in 2011, health care providers meeting the meaningful use criteria can begin receiving incentive payments. IFMC HITREC was selected as a partner by the Office of National Coordinator (ONC) to help at least 1,200 Iowa physicians, physician’s assistants and nurse practitioners adopt certified EHR technology over the next two years, allowing them to be eligible for these incentive payments. The ONC developed this federal cooperative program to provide technical assistance on EHR selection and use to practices of 10 or fewer providers.
IFMC HITREC conducted an exhaustive four-month long evaluation of vendors. The committee performing the evaluation included practicing Iowa clinicians as well as Iowa-based office managers, health informatics experts, and specialists. Functionality, live demonstrations and pricing played into the scoring system used by the IFMC HITREC to produce the six-member Preferred Vendor List.
"The vetting processed used by the IFMC HITREC was thorough and exacting," said Adele Allison, national director of government affairs for EHS. "Sorting through over 200 EHR vendors and translating federal regulatory requirements is a daunting task for any clinician. EHS appreciates the focus of IFMC HITREC’s process and its validation of CareRevolution® to serve the providers of Iowa. Clinic transformation is not just about healthcare IT. It is about improving quality of care and providing value for the patient. EHS is proud to be a part of this statewide initiative and committed to positioning Iowa’s providers for success.”
Clinicians can learn more about EHS and its solution offerings at www.ehsmed.com. Iowa providers can view the EHS solution at the statewide Iowa e-Health Summit on August 5, 2010 at the Meadows Conference Center in Altoona, Iowa. Online registration is available at www.iowahitrec.org.
About IFMC HITREC
As the federally designated HIT Regional Extension Center for Iowa, IFMC will help at least 1,200 primary care providers improve care for their patients through the adoption and meaningful use of EHRs. IFMC’s strategy to successfully implement a self-sustaining Regional Center in Iowa builds on its practical experience, quality improvement expertise and high level technology support. These competencies will help Iowa practices achieve meaningful use of EHRs and engage in health information exchange. For more information, visit www.iowahitrec.org or call 800-373-2964. |
