WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rural health networks across the nation will receive more than $11.9 million to support their adoption of Health Information Technology (HIT) and certified Electronic Health Records (EHR). The funding announced today by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will also help these rural health networks’ participating eligible providers qualify for Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive payments, administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
“We need health information technology to bring our health care system into the 21st century,” said Secretary Sebelius. “These funds will help safety net providers acquire state-of-the-art health information technology systems to ensure the delivery of quality care to some of the most remote areas of our country.”
Each of 40 grantee organizations will receive about $300,000 to purchase equipment, install broadband networks and provide training for staff. The pilot program was developed as a result of the President’s Rural Health Initiative, which identifies HIT as a priority area, and the Secretary’s Rural HIT Taskforce. Funding is distributed through HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and comes from existing appropriations and authorization for the Rural Health Care Services Outreach and Rural Health Network Development Program.
“Collaboration is key to this effort. Working together, these rural health networks will be in a better position to achieve economies of scale and enhance their services and organizational capacity,” said HRSA Administrator Mary Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N.
The list of grant recipients follows:
|
Rural Health Information Technology Grants |
|||||||||
|
Organization |
City | State | Amount | ||||||
| Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium | Anchorage | Alaska | $300,000.00 | ||||||
| Alaska State Hospital & Nursing Home Association | Juneau | Alaska | $300,000.00 | ||||||
| Tanana Chiefs Conference | Fairbanks | Alaska | $300,000.00 | ||||||
| Tahoe Institute for Rural Health Research | Truckee | Calif. | $300,000.00 | ||||||
| Livingston Community Health Services | Livingston | Calif. | $299,811.00 | ||||||
| Huerfano County Hospital District | Walsenburg | Colo. | $300,000.00 | ||||||
| Telluride Medical Center Foundation | Telluride | Colo. | $296,242.00 | ||||||
| Rural Health Partnership of North Central Florida | Starke | Fla. | $299,789.00 | ||||||
| Hospital Authority of Monroe County, Georgia | Forsyth | Ga. | $300,000.00 | ||||||
| Van Buren County Hospital | Keosauqua | Iowa | $300,000.00 | ||||||
| Wright Medical Center | Clarion | Iowa | $300,000.00 | ||||||
| Franklin County Medical Center | Preston | Idaho | $299,758.00 | ||||||
| Greeley County Health Services | Tribune | Kan. | $253,551.00 | ||||||
| Northeast Kentucky Regional Health Information Organization |
West Liberty |
Ky. |
$300,000.00 |
||||||
| Knox Hospital Corporation | Barbourville | Ky. | $300,000.00 | ||||||
| Louisiana Rural Ambulance Alliance | Napoleonville | La. | $300,000.00 | ||||||
| Hospital Service District No. 1-A of the Parish of Richland |
Delhi |
La. |
$300,000.00 |
||||||
| Mahnomen Health Center | Mahnomen | Minn. | $299,950.00 | ||||||
| Citizens Memorial Hospital District | Bolivar | Mo. | $300,000.00 | ||||||
| Health Care Coalition of Lafayette County | Lexington | Mo. | $300,000.00 | ||||||
| Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands | Saipan | M.P. | $300,000.00 | ||||||
| Delta Health Alliance | Stoneville | Miss. | $300,000.00 | ||||||
| Liberty County Hospital and Nursing Home | Chester | Mont. | $300,000.00 | ||||||
|
Barrett Hospital & Healthcare |
Dillon | Mont. | $299,980.00 | ||||||
| Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care Center | Elgin | N.D. | $299,953.00 | ||||||
| Panhandle Mental Health Center | Scottsbluff | Neb. | $300,000.00 | ||||||
|
Battle Mountain General Hospital |
Battle Mountain |
Nev. |
$300,000.00 |
||||||
| Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization | Watertown |
N.Y. |
$297,855.00 | ||||||
| Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital | Cooperstown | N.Y. | $292,550.00 | ||||||
| Little Dixie Community Action Agency Inc. | Hugo | Okla. | $300,000.00 | ||||||
| Mid Rogue Foundation | Grants Pass | Ore. | $272,845.00 | ||||||
| Pennsylvania Mountains Healthcare Resource Development PMHRD |
Dubois |
Pa. |
$300,000.00 |
||||||
| Fairfield Memorial Hospital | Winnsboro | S.C. | $300,000.00 | ||||||
| The Regional Medical Center | Orangeburg | S.C. | $299,125.00 | ||||||
| City of Brookings/Brookings Health System | Brookings | S.D. | $300,000.00 | ||||||
| Horizon Health Care | Howard | S.D. | $300,000.00 | ||||||
| Community Memorial Hospital | Burke | S.D. | $295,939.00 | ||||||
| Texas A&M University-Kingsville | Kingsville | Texas | $299,976.00 | ||||||
| Western Washington Rural Health Care Collaborative | Forks | Wash. | $299,550.00 | ||||||
| Pend Oreille Public Hospital District No. 1 | Newport | Wash. | $298,292.00 | ||||||
| TOTAL | $11,905,166.00 | ||||||||
For more information on the Rural Health Information Technology Initiative, please visit http://healthit.hhs.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&mode=2&objID=3769
For more information on the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, please visit http://www.hrsa.gov/ruralhealth/index.html
For more information on CMS EHR incentive payments, please visit https://www.cms.gov/ehrincentiveprograms/30_Meaningful_Use.asp
Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.
CONTACT:
HRSA Press Office
301-443-3376
KEYWORDS: United States North America District of Columbia
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Health Public Policy/Government Healthcare Reform Public Policy White House/Federal Government Managed Care
MEDIA:
| Logo |