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As the federally-funded Beacon Community Program draws to a close, project leaders look back on their struggles and accomplishments -- and focus on what's ahead.

The Beacon Communities proved that organizations can advocate changes to how healthcare is paid for by working with payers and providers, while improving quality and safety at the same time. "These were the pillars of the Beacon Community activities, and they taught us," National Coordinator for Health IT Farzad Mostashari, MD, said. "They showed what we needed to do."

The 17 Beacon Communities, stretching from Maine to Hawaii, are celebrating their first anniversary. While much progress has been made, it is clear that this is "a journey of quality improvement that never ends," as one expert put it.

The University of Colorado Health Sciences Center will analyze data submitted by Quality Health Network to see if health information exchange positively impacts the use of healthcare services.