Moving? Notify QHN for Smooth Results Delivery Transition

Regional Health Fair Results Available via QHN

The Grand Valley Health Fair laboratory testing began February 3, 2014 and is occurring over a five week period prior to the actual event. The event will take place on March 21 and 22, 2014 at Two Rivers Convention Center and allows participants to take advantage of the free health screenings, complete a Health Risk Assessment (HRA) and consult with a physician regarding the results. The lab tests are being completed, by appointment, at St. Mary's Hospital and Regional Medical Center. 

This is the third year, the Grand Valley Health Fair has partnered with QHN to provide patient testing electronic results, ensuring accurate, timely access to this information to improve care coordination and avoid duplicate diagnostic studies. Results from many other health fairs in the region, Montrose, Meeker, Rifle and other western Colorado locations will also be available electronically as these events occur over the next several months. 

Connected QHN providers may access the various health fair results in the QHN repository (Virtual Health Record-VHR). If a primary care provider is indicated by the health fair participant, at the time of the registration for the lab testing, a copy of the reports will be automatically routed via the QHN health information exchange to participating providers.

CMS Extends 2013 EHR Attestation Deadline for EPs, Offers Attestation Assistance to Hospitals 

Last week, model Spanish-language versions of the Notices of Privacy Practices (NPP) were issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and Office for the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). The HIPAA Privacy Rule requires healthcare providers to give individuals an NPP to explain how they use and share their health information and how they can exercise their health privacy rights.

As with the English-language models, they have provided four Spanish-language NPP options: a booklet form; a layered format that presents a summary of the information on the first page, followed by the full content on the following pages; a notice with the design elements found in the booklet, but formatted for full page presentation; and a text-only version of the notice.

They also provide guidance to health care providers on how to customize the NPPs for their businesses in the Questions and Instructions documents on the website. 

In the announcement HHS released they noted statistics indicating that "Spanish is the primary language spoken at home by 38.3 million people aged five or older," a number that is double what it was in 1990. The Affordable Care Act expands the cultural competency requirements within Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

These models reflect the regulatory changes of the 2013 Omnibus Rule and can help covered entities working to come into compliance with the new requirements by serving as a blueprint. In particular, the models highlight the new patient right to access their electronic information held in an electronic health record (EHR), if their provider has an EHR in their practice. 

Tuesday March 11, 2014 * 8 am

Location: Quality Health Network - 744 Horizon Court, Suite #210

This event is FREE, however please register as seating is limited.  

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) launched a new web portal dedicated to helping stakeholders better understand how the various CMS incentive and reporting programs work together, this week at HIMSS14. 

The eHealth University has resources for providers and education modules tailored to their participation level. 

The content includes checklists, fact sheets, videos and Web seminars at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. Click below to watch the introductory video.