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- July 11, 2011
Flex Monitoring Team Responds to JAMA Article on Quality of Care at CAHs
Read moreThe Flex Monitoring Team, the nation’s leading experts on rural health care quality, has prepared a detailed analysis of last week’s article in JAMA on quality of care at critical access hospitals (CAH). The JAMA article concluded that compared with non-Critical Access Hospitals (CAH), CAH’s had fewer clinical capabilities,...
00 - July 11, 2011
Hear the Experts Talk about the EHR Incentive Programs
Read moreRegister Now : National Provider Call on Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program Basics for Eligible Professionals (EPs) Date: Thursday, July 14Time : 1:30-3:00pm ET The call will cover the following topics:• Are you eligible?• How much are the incentives and how are they calculated?• How...
- July 11, 2011
Meaningful Use Stage 2 Delay Backed by National Health IT Coordinator Mostashari
Read moreFarzad Mostashari, MD, the national health IT coordinator, said he agreed with the suggestion of the Health IT Policy Committee to delay Stage 2 meaningful use until 2014, essentially signaling to the industry that federal policymakers will follow the advisory group’s recommendation. To read the entire article, click here.
- July 11, 2011
Due Diligence When Selecting an EHR or Other HIT Webinar
Read moreThursday, July 14, 12-1:30pm MDT The Vendor Selection and Due Diligence Process: Electronic Health Record (EHR) acquisition requires a stringent due diligence plan – hear from successful Health Information Technology organizations about what to expect during the selection and contract negotiation process, and gain insights from lessons learned through...
- July 11, 2011
National Library of Medicine launches MedlinePlus Connect
Read moreThe National Library of Medicine, the world’s largest medical library and a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has formally launched MedlinePlus Connect. This free service allows health organizations and health information technology (HIT) providers to link patient portals and electronic health record (EHR) systems to MedlinePlus.gov,...
- July 11, 2011
Call to Action: Contact Your Member of Congress & U.S. Senators Today
Read moreAs has been mentioned in previous posts, political leaders in Washington are discussing options for raising the nation’s debt ceiling limit by August 2nd and cutting federal spending to address the deficit. Medicare and Medicaid are under consideration for substantial spending cuts, including reducing the federal Medicaid matching rate to...
- July 8, 2011
Joint Commission safety goals should be part of EHR certification
Read moreThe Joint Commission’s 2011 National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG) for hospitals should be included in electronic health record certification and criteria for meaningful use, say authors of a commentary that appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “Ideally, addressing the NPSGs should be incorporated into the EHR...
- July 7, 2011
Emergency Department Visits in Rural and Non-Rural Communities
Read moreA new statistical brief by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality compares emergency department (ED) visits in rural and non-rural communities. Rural ED visits were more likely to be billed to Medicare, Medicaid, or no payer than in non-rural communities. Also, fewer ED visits in rural communities resulted...
- July 6, 2011
Medscape Modules Now Available on CMS EHR Incentive Programs
Read moreCMS is pleased to announce that through Medscape Education, providers now have the opportunity to earn CME credits by learning more about the Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Programs. On Medscape’s EHR Learning Center website, leading physician experts in medical informatics provide information, resources, and tools to help providers...
- July 6, 2011
States Cutting Medicaid Rates, Healthcare Programs At Risk in Budget Negotiations
Read moreSeveral states, including Colorado, began their fiscal years on July 1 by reducing Medicaid payment rates to providers and hospitals. A Kaiser Health News report outlines various states’ changes in Medicaid, including payment and benefit reductions, that may further compromise access to care for Medicaid recipients. In Washington, Medicaid...
