Join us for the first Consortium webinar of 2011 on Thursday, January 20th from 12:00-1:15 pm MT where we will build upon our Meaningful Use webinars and discuss the Meaningful Use Gap Analysis. This will be a continued review of meaningful use particularly focusing on how to assess gaps...

The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health is hosting a free webinar “Preparing to Engage with Legislators and Policymakers” on Thursday, January 13 from 12:00-1:00 pm. The webinar will provide instruction on communicating with elected officials and assist those planning to attend the Policy Institute in Washington...

In recent days, Governor-elect Hickenlooper announced several appointments to his cabinet. Sue Birch was named executive director of the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. Ms. Birch is currently the CEO of the Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association in Steamboat Springs. Other key health-related appointments include Dr. Chris...

CRHC, in partnership with the Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved (CCMU) and ClinicNET, received funding from The Colorado Trust and The Colorado Health Foundation for a three-year public will building project. The project, Colorado HealthStory, is an effort to record and collect personal stories about individual’s access to...

Permanent program certifying health IT to take effect January 1, 2012 The HHS Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) released a final rule January 3 establishing a permanent health information technology (health IT) certification program. The rule describes the permanent certification program for electronic health...

Several components of federal health reform go into effect on January 1, 2011, including prescription drug discounts for Medicare Part D beneficiaries and a temporary increase in Medicare payments for primary care services and to general surgeons in health professional shortage areas. Read about the 2011 provisions.

Colorado will receive a $13.7 million performance bonus from the Department of Health and Human Services for increasing children’s enrollment in Medicaid. To qualify for the bonus, Colorado had to show it implemented at least five of eight recommended enrollment simplification policies and that it met a target for...

January 3, 2011, marks the first day for hospitals to register their intent to achieve meaningful use and qualify for incentive payments under the HITECH EHR Incentive Program. To highlight this achievement, hospitals across the country are being encouraged to hold press events, on Thursday, January 13, 2011, and...

One component of federal health reform is the development of health insurance exchanges, organizations that individuals and small businesses can use to shop for insurance plans and to access federal subsidies. A recent Denver Post article provides an overview of Colorado’s efforts to develop an exchange and the steps...