The two national organizations representing physician group practices are formally teaming up for the first time, and the impetus is EHR adoption. The Medical Group Management Association and the American Medical Group Association have formed an alliance with Perot Systems to offer EHR training and implementation services to the health IT regional extension centers that HHS will set up as part of the federal stimulus package. They also will offer support for health information exchange, likely to be a major part of the "meaningful use" rules that providers must follow to earn government subsidies.
"The services the alliance can provide are geared toward educating physician practices, hospitals and other qualifying healthcare organizations about EHR and HIE technology," Perot Systems healthcare chief Chuck Lyles says in a joint statement. This will allow these groups to make the most informed decision about the appropriate EHR for their organization, and how they can successfully manage the implementation and integration into their current workflows, he adds.
HHS has set aside $589 million to establish as many as 70 regional extension centers to offer technical assistance and teach best practices to physician practices seeking to implement health IT. The agency is expected to award the first grants before the end of 2009.
For more information:
- see this AMGA press release