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| Welcome to DocEHRnews | |
 Welcome to the first issue of the RI Regional Extension Center's new e-newsletter, DocEHRnews
It's a new year, a new newsletter, and a new location for the Rhode Island Quality Institute and the Regional Extension Center (REC)--we're still at The Foundry in Providence, but at 235 Promenade Street, Suite 600. We have space for more staff and visitors and are excited about our new initiatives, which you'll read about here in the months ahead.
We want to hear from you! As you navigate your way through EHR adoption and implementation toward meaningful use, let us know how we can help. Please send comments and suggestions for future newsletter content to Cathy Coffin. |
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REC timeline and funding changes to benefit providers |  The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) recently announced two significant changes to the REC program that will enhance services for RI REC's provider members as follows: 1) The national REC timeline has been extended, so in RI we have four years instead of two to reach our goal of enrolling 1,000 Priority Primary Care Providers and helping them attain meaningful use of an electronic health record (EHR). In our first six months we reached more than 40% of our enrollment goal. In fact, RI REC is among the top 10 (of 62) most successful RECs in the nation. 2) We can continue to provide services with a greater federal subsidy for the extended time period. In the first two years, RECs have a 90/10 cost match, which means that 90 percent of the funding comes from the federal subsidy. The funding then was to become a 10/90 match for the remaining two years. The 90/10 match is now extended to cover all four years, which means the Rhode Island Quality Institute needs to fund only 10% of the REC program each year.
If you're not already a provider member of RI REC, learn if you're eligible and how to enroll by visiting www.DocEHRtalk.org and clicking the red "Join now" button. |
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Registration open for Medicare EHR Incentive Program |  The 2009 Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act established Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs to help defray costs and to support eligible healthcare providers in their transition to using a certified EHR in meaningful ways. Registration for the Medicare Program began January 3, 2011. Listen to David Blumenthal, MD, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, discuss the importance of registration for the federal EHR incentive programs. Familiarize yourself with the Medicare Incentive Program requirements and review the registration user guide. In addition to receiving federal incentive payments, members of RI REC can receive subsidy payments on reaching certain milestones. Providers who are eligible for both the Medicare and Medicaid incentives must select only one program in which to participate. You can receive as much as $44,000 over five years through Medicare; for Medicaid, reimbursement is as much as $63,750 over six years. Although 11 states have begun registration for the Medicaid program, registration in Rhode Island does not start until June. (See the section below to learn how you can register for one of three free sessions about RI's Medicaid EHR Incentive Program.) |
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Attend a free session about RI's Medicaid EHR Incentive Program | |
 Are you a Medicaid provider? If so, you may be eligible to participate in the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program and receive up to $63,750 over six years.
Unlike Medicare providers who need to attest to the meaningful use functional measures and clinical quality measures in their first year of incentive program participation, Medicaid providers do not have to demonstrate meaningful use during their first year of participation. You only have to demonstrate that you have adopted, implemented, or upgraded certified EHR technology. However, you will be required to demonstrate meaningful use measures in each subsequent year to qualify for an incentive payment.
Registration for the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program in Rhode Island starts in June. However, now is the time to prepare. Plan to attend one of the learning sessions hosted by RI REC in February, March, and April. The sessions are free, and we'll provide a light dinner buffet. Learn more about these free sessions and how to register. |
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Meaningful Use: Understanding the requirements for quality reporting in pediatrics | 
To become a "meaningful user" of your EHR, you must use a certified EHR in a meaningful manner (for example, for e-prescribing); demonstrate that the EHR provides for the electronic exchange of health information; and use an EHR to submit clinical quality measure reporting.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) EHR Incentive Program is a way to encourage the meaningful use of EHRs. To qualify for incentive payments (up to $44,000 from Medicare and up to $63,750 from Medicaid), eligible providers must implement certified EHR technology, meet 15 core criteria and 5 of 10 "menu set" criteria, and report on a range of quality measures.
Because of their patient population, almost all pediatricians will choose to participate in the Medicaid Incentive Program. To qualify, pediatricians must not be hospital-based and need to demonstrate that at least 20% of their patient volume comes from Medicaid.
The requirements and lists of criteria related to meaningful use can seem overwhelming and confusing, so RI REC has summarized this information and has identified a selection of clinical quality measures that can be used by pediatricians in a new resource called Understanding the requirements for quality reporting in pediatrics. |
| Survey shows increased EHR adoption by office-based physicians | |
 According to a 2008-2010 National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) survey of health information technology adoption in physician practices:
- The percentage of office-based physicians who have adopted a "basic" EHR is 24.9 percent (21 percent in RI), an increase of almost 50 percent from 2008 to 2010.
- Growth in EHR adoption is strongest among primary care physicians: 29.6 percent have adopted at least a basic EHR; in RI, the estimated adoption rate is 34 percent.
- The percentage of office-based physicians who plan to apply for EHR incentive payments is 41 percent (47 percent in RI). (Of those physicians, 79 percent plan to participate during Stage 1 of the programs; only 14 percent said they are not planning to apply for incentive payments.)
Read more NCHS survey results and about EHR use in RI. Also, learn more about how the RI Regional Extension Center helps priority primary care physicians adopt EHRs and achieve meaningful use. |
| Win an EHR adoption survival kit! | |
We recognize the challenges you face when you're choosing and implementing an EHR in your practice.
We've got the "survival kit" you need: bandaids, aspirin, antacid, a sewing kit and more in a handy zippered canvas bag with the RI Regional Extension Center logo.
We're giving away survival kits to 10 providers or practice managers. To enter the drawing, send your name and that of your practice or organization with your address and phone number to Cathy Coffin by February 21, 2011. |
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The RI Regional Extension Center (REC) is a service of the Rhode Island Quality Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the healthcare system in RI. Our goal is to assist 1,000 priority primary care providers, with or without an existing EHR, with achieving Meaningful Use. To learn more, visit www.DocEHRtalk.org. The REC and its services and materials are made possible through a grant from the Office of the National Coordinator with US Department of Health and Human Services support. |
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