IL-HITREC Interchange

In this issue:
IL-HITREC passes ONC Biennial Review

IL-HITREC Helps Providers Qualify for MU and Medicare and Medicaid EHR Payments

Progressive Family Care Meets Stage 1 MU with IL-HITREC guidance

BPC releases Health IT recommendations

Proposed Rule for Stage 2 Meaningful Use

IL-HITREC Helps DuPage Medical Group Meet Stage 1 Meaningful Use

Health IT Buzz Blog: Get the Facts

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April 2012Issue: 7

doctor and orderly study laptop screen

Greetings!

Welcome to the April 2012 issue of the IL-HITREC INTERCHANGE. This newsletter is your resource for news and information on the REC program in Illinois.

IL-HITREC passes ONC Biennial Review

The Illinois Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (IL-HITREC) has passed the Biennial Review from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) with an “overall positive outcome.”
ONC’s evaluation panel looked at IL-HITREC’s operations plan and its ability to meet the goals it established for the Regional Extension Centers in Illinois, including enrolling 1,300 priority primary care providers. The panel was composed of federal officials and private experts, none of whom are connected with IL-HITREC. The Biennial Evaluation process was statutorily mandated in order to determine eligibility to access funding for years three and four of the project period. Read the complete article…

IL-HITREC Helps Providers Qualify for MU

and Medicare and Medicaid EHR Payments

    As part of a nationwide transformation to an electronically enabled health care system, the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program has issued millions of dollars in incentive payments to eligible health care providers, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). These clinicians are working to improve patient care through meaningful use of EHRs.
    To date, Illinois has issued $10,143,334 in its Medicaid EHR Incentive Program and $23,148,000 in its Medicare EHR Incentive Program. Across the country, a total of $3,857,691,665 has been awarded to 62,028 eligible professionals and eligible hospitals in the EHR Incentive Programs.
    Since February 2010, more than 135,000 providers nationwide have enrolled with Regional Extension Centers (RECs) to receive support with EHR implementation and understand the process to qualify for these incentives. Of those providers, 1,300 practice in Illinois and receive support from IL-HITREC.
Read the complete article…

Progressive Family Care Meets
Stage 1 MU with IL-HITREC guidance

Owner-Doctors Michael Kirk and Sean Lattimore with Progressive
Family Care’s Meaningful Use Coordinator, Melissa Jones

The Illinois Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center’s (IL-HITREC) Southern Satellite Office recently announced Progressive Family Care has reached Stage 1 Meaningful Use requirements set forth by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Progressive Family Care has clinic locations in Columbia and Waterloo. There are 32 staff members between the two locations, with six providers including four doctors and two mid-level providers. All four doctors successfully attested for Meaningful Use: Dr. Michael Kirk (M.D., owner), Medicare; Dr. Sean Lattimore (D.O., owner), Medicare; Dr. Sandra Hodel (M.D.), Medicaid; and Dr. Carrie Daigle (M.D.), Medicare. Read the complete article…

BPC releases Health IT recommendations

     Health Information Technology (IT) plays a critical role in supporting new models of care and payment that are designed to achieve health care’s triple aim: improve health, improve the experience of care for patients and families, and reduce the cost of care.
    The Task Force on Delivery System Reform and Health Information Technology was led by Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) Health Project co-leaders and former Senate majority leaders, Tom Daschle and Bill Frist. It included a broad range of nationally respected experts and leaders from many sectors of health care.
    The Task Force was created to focus on two primary goals: identify real-world examples and best practices that facilitate coordinated, accountable, patient-oriented care; and make recommendations for ensuring that current health IT efforts support delivery system and payment models shown to improve quality and reduce costs in health care, in ways that best utilize scarce public and private resources.
    The full report on the Task Force findings and
    recommendations is available by clicking here (pdf).

Proposed Rule for Stage 2 Meaningful Use

    The proposed rule for Stage 2 Meaningful Use was posted to the Office of the Federal Register on Feb. 23, and is now open for a 60-day public comment period. The proposed rule outlines the next stage of meaningful use for the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs, which are administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
    IL-HITREC wants all priority primary-care providers to be aware of resources available that further explain the proposed Stage 2 rule, which is slated to go into effect in 2014:
  * CMS fact sheet
  * Proposed rule posted on the Federal Register.
    Please call IL-HITREC at (815) 753-1136 if you have any questions or would like to discuss how these developments may affect your practice. IL-HITREC is the REC for Illinois, minus the 606* zip code area, which is covered by the Chicago REC.

IL-HITREC Helps DuPage Medical
Group Meet Stage 1 Meaningful Use

members of DuPage Medical Group

   The Illinois Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center’s (IL-HITREC) Northeast Satellite Office managed by the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council (MCHC) is pleased to announce that 65 DuPage Medical Group physicians have reached Stage 1 Meaningful Use requirements set forth by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
    “This is a significant achievement for DuPage Medical Group,” said CEO Mike Kasper. “This recognition speaks to the commitment our physicians make to leverage health information technology to improve patient safety and provide quality health care.”
    The IL-HITREC Northeast Satellite Office worked closely with DuPage Medical Group for a year to ensure the physicians were able to successfully implement and utilize electronic health record (EHR) technology. Read the complete article…

Health IT Buzz Blog: Get the Facts

  [Posted by Dr. Farzad Mostashari / National Coordinator for Health Information Technology March 6, 2012
    Apparently, doctors who order a lot of imaging tests are more likely to have electronic systems that let them view those images in their offices.
    That is the finding of an article appearing in the March 2012 issue of Health Affairs by McCormick and colleagues. This is not a particularly surprising observation. What is surprising is that the authors go far beyond the scope of their research to conclude that “the federal government’s ongoing, multibillion-dollar effort to promote the adoption of health information technology may not yield anticipated cost savings from reductions in duplicative diagnostic testing. Indeed, it is possible that computerization will drive costs in this area up, not down.”
Read the complete article…