Blog

Last week, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) released criteria that will be used to certify EHRs as appropriate support tools for providers who want to qualify for Bonanza Days.

It's not a surprise that there would be supporters and detractors of the proposed meaningful use requirements. With heavyweights making noise, however, you have to sit up straight and listen.

I'm a transplant to Tennessee from the Twin Cities of Minnesota and like many other folks I've thought about Nashville's role as Music City USA. But getting to know the home of HCA and its 150 plus inspired/related firms over these past two decades has made me take notice of some interesting Nashville-centric healthcare facts.

Now that the Interim Final Rule (Initial Set of Standards, Implementation Specifications, and Certification Criteria for Electronic Health Record Technology) and the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Medicare and Medicaid Programs Electronic Health Record Incentive Program) have been published, we can all finalize our policy and technology strategies for achieving Certification and Meaningful Use in our organizations and communities.

As required by legislation in the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA), HHS/CMS released rules for the meaningful use of certified EHRs before the end of 2009 (late the afternoon of Dec. 30th).

The Georgia Office of Health Information Technology and Transparency announced that in January it would begin an initiative to build an electronic health information exchange for the 10,000 physicians who treat Medicaid patients in the state.