The Health & Human Services Department has awarded $83.9 million in grants to help safety-net clinics adopt electronic health records (EHR) and other clinical information technology systems.
The grants to 45 community-based healthcare organizations in 27 states will support adoption of EHRs and assist HRSA-funded health centers deliver primary care to 19 million low-income and uninsured patients.
"These funds will help safety net providers acquire state-of-the-art health information technology systems as they work to provide quality health care to millions of people in need," said Mary Wakefield, administrator of HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
The funding targets AHRQ's Health-Center Controlled Networks (HCCN) program, which supports networks of three or more healthcare organizations collaborating within a community, according to the announcement.
The HCCN networks provide financial, technology and clinical support services to the health centers, which individually cannot afford the specialized personnel and technology.
The HRSA grants are part of the $2 billion allotted to HRSA under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to expand health care services to low-income and uninsured individuals through its health center program.
The grants will do more than fund EHRs for health centers. Eligible professionals practicing within the centers who are able to demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHRs may be eligible for Medicare or Medicaid incentive payments.
The majority of the 45 grants were for $1 million to $3 million. Healthcare organizations that received $3 million included Clinicas del Camino Real Inc. in Ventura, Calif., and Southern Jersey Family Medical Centers, Inc. in Hammonton, N.J. The smallest grants went to the Health Federation of Philadelphia for $327,169 and Southbridge Medical Advisory Council Inc. in Wilmington, Del., for $558,114.
