The Physicians Foundation, a national organization that supports the interests of physicians and their patients, announced Tuesday it awarded 15 individual grants in 13 states totaling nearly $2 million for numerous health IT projects that support high quality patient care.
Foundation officials said the grants are particularly relevant given the national push toward digital health records, and that they hope to "shape how those changes are implemented in the months and years ahead."
"Our country's healthcare workforce is already overworked, and as the government encourages a large scale move to digital records, that transition is going to have a significant impact on practicing physicians," said Foundation Board Member Ripley Hollister. "The Foundation has made HIT a specific focus, because it wants to ensure that the move to digital records and the use of other technologies is made in a constructive, positive fashion – specifically, one that preserves and supports the doctor-patient relationship."
Projects receiving Foundation support in this round of grants include:
• "Meaningful Use Achievement Toolkit," a program to develop and disseminate tools that assist physicians with achieving meaningful use of certified electronic record systems.
• "HIT in Practice," a program to develop a series of supports and resources for implementation of electronic health records in small practices.
• Grants for assisting physicians in various states with implementing digital health records.
The health IT grants are part of a larger effort this year by the Physicians Foundation, totaling more than $4.2 million.
"Our fundamental goal in making these grants was simple," said Lou Goodman the foundation's president. "We want to help improve the practice environment for physicians so that they can more easily do what matters most to them: spend time taking care of patients."
On the next page is full list of grantees:
HIT Toolkit 2010 Grants List
- California Academy of Family Physicians Foundation received $145,237.00 for HIT in Practice: Toolkit
- California Medical Association Foundation received $150,000.00 for tools, outreach and training to foster EHR adoption
- Colorado Medical Society Foundation received $150,000.00 for optimizing healthcare through technology
- Critical Access Hospital Network (CAHN) received $76,308.00 for chronic care management and resources project
- HealthLINC, Inc. received $150,000.00 for improving quality and the continuum of care through the provision of meaningful use tools, tesources and services to physicians
- Kansas Medical Foundation received $52,095.00 for Kansas Medical Society/ Kansas Medical Foundation Health Information Technology Program
- Kentucky Foundation for Medical Care, Inc. received $143,492.00 for EMR adoption and use Toolkit
- Louisiana Academy Family Physicians Foundation received $141,500.00 for E-Louisiana HIT Toolkit
- Maine Primary Care Association received $150,000.00 for achieving meaningful use among Maine safety net practices
- Medical Educational and Scientific Foundation of New York received $150,000.00 for how to adopt technology in your practice
- Medical Society of Virginia Foundation received $150,000.00 for assisting Virginia physicians with the successful adoption of HIT
- Minnesota Medical Association Foundation received $150,000.00 for Specialty Care HIT Supplement Toolkit
- Physicians' Institute for Excellence in Medicine received $150,000.00 for a performance improvement approach to acheiving meaningful use
- Texas Medical Association Special Funds Foundation received $150,000.00 for meaningful use achievement toolkit
- Washington State Medical Education and Research Foundation received $75,000.00 for physician leadership access
