Health IT Resources

Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Programs

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has a listserv that provides timely, authoritative information about the EHR incentive programs, including attestations, incentive payments, and Meaningful use criteria and updates.

Health IT Blogs

Where to Learn More

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) – the healthcare industry’s membership organization exclusively focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of healthcare information technology (IT) and management systems for the betterment of healthcare. The website resources include topics and tools, professional development opportunities including the online e-learning academy, and Health IT news releases.

AHRQ National Resource Center for Health IT – provides information on IT tools, knowledge library, funding opportunities, technical assistance and event calendar.

HRSA Health IT Adoption Toolbox – designed for health centers as well as other safety net and ambulatory care providers; organized by stages of considering, planning, executing, and evaluating the implementation of health IT. Includes publicly available resources as well as resources developed by HRSA explicitly for this Toolbox.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) website spotlights policy, funding opportunities, standards and certifications, and tools for implementation and optimization of health IT.

The RCHN Community Health Foundation (RCHN CHF) – a not-for-profit operating foundation whose mission is devoted exclusively to support and benefit the work of community health centers (CHCs) nationally. This website includes Technology in Focus, a collection of columns addressing the unique issues of Health IT specific to CHCs.

ACU Webinars

Demystifying Meaningful Use of Electronic Health Records,

This webinar provides an overview of the Meaningful Use (MU) of certified Electronic Health Record technology as a means of supporting quality, safety, and efficiency in health care while reducing health disparities. Presenters include a clinician user, an industry expert, and a Federal representative of the Office of Health IT Adoption. Also provided are links to many federal and local resources to support EHR adoption.

Ready, Set, Go. The Road to Meaningful Use of EHRs

This webinar addresses key strategies for successful adoption and utilization of electronic health records, including workforce development, financial support and federal incentives, provider and consumer education, and communication infrastructure to meet the meaningful use requirements of the 2009 ARRA HITECH ACT. Highlighting best practice examples of successful adaptations and implementations serving homeless communities and fostering peer to peer support are integral parts of this presentation.

A Structural Framework for Meaningful Use of EHR in the HCH Setting

This webinar highlights the key foundational elements identified by health care for the homeless grantees for successful implementation of meaningful use of electronic health records. A HRSA representative provides an update of the tools and resources available to support HCH grantees in health information technology and quality.

ACU Columns

Health Information Technology: Addressing Health Disparity by Improving Quality, Increasing Access, and Developing Workforce* Ricardo Custodio, MD, MPH, Anna M. Gard, MSN, FNP-BC, Garth Graham, MD, MPH

*Reprinted with permission from Meharry Medical College, the copyright holder for the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved.