EHR SUPPORT

History

On February 17, 2009, the President signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).  Title XIII of Division A and Title IV of Division B of ARRA, together cited as the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act), include provisions to promote meaningful use of health information technology to improve the quality and value of American health care.  The HITECH Act also established the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as the principal federal entity responsible for coordinating the effort to implement a nationwide health information technology (health IT) infrastructure that allows for the use and exchange of electronic health information in electronic format.

The HITECH Act (Title IV in Division B of ARRA) authorizes incentive payments for eligible Medicare and Medicaid providers’ meaningful use of certified electronic health record (EHR) technology.  By 2015, providers were expected to have adopted and be actively utilizing an EHR in compliance with the “meaningful use” definition or they are subject to financial penalties under Medicare (per Sections 4101(b) and 4102(b) of ARRA).  The detailed criteria to qualify for meaningful use incentive payments will be established by the Secretary of HHS (hereafter referred to as the Secretary) through the formal notice-and-comment rulemaking process.  For access to the most current publicly available information about meaningful use, please visit the Meaningful Use section of the ONC programmatic website at: http://healthit.hhs.gov/meaningfuluse

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), ONC established 62 Regional Extension Centers (RECs) that assisted primary care providers in the adoption and meaningful use of electronic health records.  In 2011, the NPAIHB EHR and MU Support Center was established when the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board partnered with the National Indian Health Board to become a Regional Extension Center (REC) for the Portland Area.  The REC was established to help providers demonstrate Meaningful Use of a certified electronic health record.  The goal was to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities in our population through the use of an electronic health record. The REC program proved successful.  As REC, we were able to assist over 160 providers in Portland Area with navigating the MU program registration process, upgrading to a certified EHR, achieving the meaningful use requirements, providing assistance with security risk assessments, and deployment of RPMS electronic prescribing of medications. The REC grant is complete, but the NPAIBH EHR and MU Support Center is in full operation.