HHS announces $11.9 million to implement health information technology in rural areas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 2, 2011

Contact: HRSA Press Office
(301) 443-3376

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


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