Bookmark & ShareFor Immediate Release: 09/09/2011
Contact: Doug Porter, Director, Health Care Authority, 360-725-1040; Richard Onizuka, Director, Health Care Policy, Health Care Authority, 360-725-2820; Melodie Olsen, Manager, Electronic Health Record Incentive Program, 360-725-1983
OLYMPIA -- The Health Care Authority is showcasing its current health information technology initiatives this week, including the debut of a new state website – www.healthIT.wa.gov – as part of the Sept. 12-16 recognition of National HealthIT Week.
HealthIT Week underscores the importance of implementing health information technology initiatives that support improving the patient care experience and pursuing additional efforts focused on improving health care delivery.
"Washington State is on the leading edge of these changes, which will improve the quality of health care delivery, increase patient safety, help prevent medical errors, and strengthen the interaction between patients and health care providers," said Health Care Authority Director Doug Porter. "This benefits both the health care system and, more importantly, the health and well-being of our residents."
HealthIT Week initiatives being highlighted include:
- The Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Program: This state-federal initiative promotes the use of electronic records to improve care, reduce costs and advance coordination across the health care industry. Incentive payments are provided to eligible professionals and eligible hospitals for the adoption, implementation, upgrade or meaningful use of certified technology. To qualify, participants must already be serving a benchmark level of Medicaid patients.
The incentive program, which opened in July, expects more than 700 professionals and hospitals to participate in 2011, representing close to $52 million in federal incentive payments. To date, more than 650 providers have already demonstrated interest.
- The Washington State Health Information Exchange (HIE): HIE technology enables reliable and secure transfer of data among diverse systems. The purpose of the statewide HIE is to improve health care delivery through secure sharing of health information. This work is critical to the health information technology efforts underway across the nation.
The state’s HIE – managed by lead organization OneHealthPort – has implemented the technological infrastructure to facilitate the secure sharing of standardized health care-related data between facilities, health information organizations and government agencies with appropriate patient consent.
- www.healthIT.wa.gov: This new website provides information, resources and links that will help guide you through the landscape of health information technology in Washington State. Public and private organizations are driving a number of projects and initiatives. This work includes federal and state programs to improve health care outcomes or enhance efficiencies in electronic health systems, as well as the business-, non-profit- and government-sectors' coordination, collaboration and training that is essential for moving ahead.
"Our vision is to improve health care quality and efficiency by using technology to enable sharing of comprehensive electronic health information whenever and wherever it is needed," said Richard Onizuka, State Government Health IT Coordinator and Health Care Policy Director. "HealthIT Week enables us to demonstrate how we coordinate our state government efforts with the federal government and other health information infrastructure efforts happening statewide."
In 2009, the Health Care Authority was appointed by the Governor as the lead state agency to coordinate public and private organizations on potential programs and funding from the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act provisions of national health care reform.
That same year, the Washington State Legislature passed Substitute Senate Bill 5501, which designates the Health Care Authority as the state agency responsible for appointing private sector and public sector organizations to lead implementation in a number of health information technology program areas.
For more information on the state’s health information technology efforts, please visit www.healthIT.wa.gov. The national event is highlighted at http://healthITweek.org
FOR ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND, CONTACT:
Michael Marchand, Communications, EHR Incentive Program, 360-725-1378 marchm@hca.wa.gov
Jim Stevenson, HCA Communications, 360-725-1915 jim.stevenson@hca.wa.gov (Pager: 971-4067)
Sharon Michael, HCA Communications, 360-923-2764 sharon.michael@hca.wa.gov
