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In 2010, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology granted more than $250 million to 17 "beacon communities" nationwide that exemplify the positive impact of healthcare IT on population health.

Cincinnati and Detroit were the last two places awarded Beacon Community status under a government program aimed to provide models for the effective use of health information technology. David Blumenthal, MD, the nation’s health IT chief, called the awards, “the beginning of the beginning.”

Cincinnati and Detroit will receive $30 million in grants to set up models for clinical and public health information sharing.

Cincinnati and Detroit are the two final pilot communities selected under the new Beacon Community Program that is using health information technology to help tackle leading health problems in communities across the country. Between them they will receive $30 million in government money to help in their work.