> Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe named Ancil Lea as the state's new coordinator for health technology, the Associated Press reports. Lea, who currently serves as the executive director for HITArkansas, a regional extension center in the state, will replace current coordinator Ray Scott, who is set to retire at year's end. Post
> Arcadia Solutions has launched a research project with Harvard University and the University of Washington to study the challenges associated with EHRs and meeting the Meaningful Use requirements. The report will share best practices for implementing EHRs and meeting the Meaningful Use measures. Announcement
> The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services answered three frequently asked questions about Stage 2 changes to the Medicaid electronic health record incentive program, Health Data Management reports. Among the answers, CMS officials confirmed that there are, in fact, changes to the base year for the Medicaid hospital incentive payment calculation under the Stage 2 rules. "In an effort to encourage timely participation … the rule was amended to allow hospitals to use the most recent continuous 12 month period for which data are available prior to the payment year," CMS officials said. Article
And Finally… How considerate! Article