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11-20-09
Committee/Project Name: E-HIM
Committee/Project Manager: Nancy Walker, MS, RHIA
Committee/Project Members: Moira Davenport-Ash, Kathy Edlund, Tammy Lowe, Kim Roberts, Sally Rynberg, Karen Schmidt, Chris Foster-Welch
Report Date: November 20, 2009
Meeting Date(s): October 15, 2009 HIT Commission meeting. October 27, 2009 Workforce Task Force meeting. November 2 and November 16, 2009. Attendance at the MiHIN Workgroup Kickoff meeting November 10, 2009.
Total Volunteer hours since last report: 52
Report to Board:
Project 1: MiHIN Workgroups. Almost all committee members attended a November 10 meeting in Lansing to kickoff all the workgroups related to the State of Michigan proposal to the Office of the National Coordinator for a Michigan HIE, building on the existing planning and implementation done in the Conduit of Care report. We separated so we could have representation in each of the workgroups of Business Operations, Governance, and Technical. Under the Technical will be a subgroup called Privacy and Security and under Governance will be two subgroups of Finance and Measurement.
In each work group initial work plans with a timetable have been established. Nominations were accepted for each workgroup, and will be solidified by Thanksgiving. MHIMA is trying to establish a presence in all the workgroups if possible. In addition to the charge of planning an operational statewide HIE, the group will work with Medicaid to assist in the definition of their HIE incentive program for providers.
Project 2: M-CEITA, the Michigan Center for Effective Adoption (of electronic health information). Nancy has volunteered for the workgroups they have identified, and will hear by early December if accepted. They have defined three workgroups, Governance, Sustainability, and Operations. The Altarum website has Regional Manager jobs posted for individuals who will be responsible for the implementation of the teams that will support the individual providers’ move the electronic record.
Project 3: Work force. The Michigan Coalition for Health Information is working on drafts of proposals that will respond to any grant requests that will assist in the transition of existing disenfranchised workers into new roles in the health care arena.
Project 4: AHIMA grant proposal. AHIMA along with other stakeholders have partnered in a proposal to the Department of Labor for retraining of IT people out of work to an exposure to health care. Their proposal was to identify the counties within the United States where the percentage of joblessness is high, and offer those disenfranchised a quick training program to take the certification for an RHIA. Davenport University is the Michigan baccalaureate program that agreed to this partnership should the proposal be accepted. MHIMA role in this will probably be to design and make happen a professional practice experience.
www.mceita.org (The regional extension center grant proposal web site)
http://mchit.squarespace.com (Michigan Coalition for Health IT, workforce initiative)
www.michigan.gov/mihin (Michigan Department of Community Health MiHIN site)
Respectfully submitted, Nancy Walker
10-21-09
Midwest HIMSS 2009 Fall Technology Conference
Six Midwest HIMSS chapters (Michigan, Indiana, Greater Chicago, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa) are holding a Midwest HIMSS 2009 Fall Technology Conference, "Enabling Healthcare Reform: The Role of HIT and the 2009 Stimulus Provisions," Nov 2-3, Amway Grand, Grand Rapids Michigan.
We are offering discounts to members of healthcare professional associations. All you have to do is provide logos and agree to promote the conference to your members. There is no charge for sponsoring.
See the link to the conference
http://www.falltechnologyconference.com/index.html and the email exchange below with MGMA. We also have MSMS, MOA, Minnesota Medical Association, ASQ and several others signed up.
I hope you will be able to attend and that MHIMA will be a professional association sponsor!
10-2-09
"Meaningful" Progress Toward Electronic Health Information Exchange
A Message from Dr. David Blumenthal, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
I recently reported on our announcement of State Health Information Technology Grants and grants to establish Health Information Technology Regional Extension Centers, as authorized under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Recovery Act).
Today I want to discuss the important term "meaningful use" of electronic health records (EHRs) – both as a concept that underlies the movement toward an electronic health care environment and as a practical set of standards that will be issued as a proposed regulation by the end of 2009.
The HITECH Act provisions of the Recovery Act create a truly historic opportunity to transform our health system through unprecedented investments in the development of a nationwide electronic health information system. This system will ultimately help facilitate, inform, measure, and sustain improvements in the quality, efficiency, and safety of health care available to every American. Simply put, health professionals will be able to give better care, and their patients’ experience of care will improve, leading to better health outcomes overall.
As many of you are aware, the HITECH Act provides incentive payments to doctors and hospitals that adopt and meaningfully use health information technology. Eligible physicians, including those in solo or small practices, can receive up to $44,000 over five years under Medicare or $63,750 over six years under Medicaid for being meaningful users of certified electronic health records. Hospitals that become meaningful EHR users could receive up to four years of financial incentive payments under Medicare beginning in 2011, and up to six years of incentive payments under Medicaid beginning in October 2010.
The HITECH Act’s financial incentives demonstrate Congress’ and the Administration’s commitment to help those who want to improve their care delivery, and will serve as a catalyst to accelerate and smooth the path to HIT adoption by more individual providers and organizations. The dollars are tangible evidence of a national determination to bring health care into the 21st century.
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is charged with coordinating nationwide efforts to implement and use the most advanced health information technology and the electronic exchange of health information. ONC is working with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), through an open and transparent process, on efforts to officially designate what constitutes “meaningful use.”
ONC has already engaged in a broad range of efforts to support the development of a formal definition of meaningful use. The HITECH Act designated a federal advisory committee, the HIT Policy Committee, with broad representation from major health care constituencies, to provide recommendations to ONC on meaningful use. The HIT Policy Committee has provided two sets of recommendations, informed by input from a variety of stakeholders. ONC and CMS have also conducted a series of listening sessions to solicit feedback from more than 200 representatives of various constituent groups and an open comment period where over 800 public comments were submitted and reviewed. The second set of recommendations on meaningful use was issued at a July 16 HIT Policy Committee meeting and details can be found at healthit.hhs.gov/policycommittee.
CMS is expected to publish a formal definition of meaningful use, for the purposes of receiving the Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments, by December 31, 2009. At that time, the public will be able to comment on the definition, and such comments will be considered in reaching any final definition of the term.
By focusing on "meaningful use," we recognize that better health care does not come solely from the adoption of technology itself, but through the exchange and use of health information to best inform clinical decisions at the point of care. Meaningful use of EHRs, we anticipate, will also enable providers to reduce the amount of time spent on duplicative paperwork and gain more time to spend with their patients throughout the day. It will lead us toward improvements and sustainability of our health care system that can only be attained with the help of a reliable and secure nationwide electronic health information system.
The concept of meaningful use is simple and inspiring, but we recognize that it becomes significantly more complex at a policy and regulatory level. As a result, we expect that any formal definition of "meaningful use" must include specific activities health care providers need to undertake to qualify for incentives from the federal government.
Ultimately, we believe "meaningful use" should embody the goals of a transformed health system. Meaningful use, in the long-term, is when EHRs are used by health care providers to improve patient care, safety, and quality.
What’s next?
As stated above, the next step in our process is a notice of proposed rulemaking in late 2009 with a public comment period in early 2010. As this process unfolds, we will continue to talk and share experiences about transitioning to EHRs, and to help deepen understanding among physicians and hospitals about the use of EHRs. We will also present programs designed to help smooth the transition process, and identify activities physicians and hospitals can engage in now to promote adoption of EHRs. As efforts advance, we will turn our attention to other necessary supporting programs, some of which you will hear more about in the coming weeks, including defining what constitutes a "certified" EHR, which is one of the requirements to qualify for Medicare and Medicaid incentives.
In the meantime, what can providers do to move toward becoming "meaningful users" – even in the absence of a formal definition? Naturally, while understanding that the final definition will be adopted through a formal rulemaking process, it will be helpful to be as familiar as possible with the discussion of meaningful use criteria to date. (You will find that information posted at healthit.hhs.gov/meaningfuluse.)
Armed with an understanding of the discussion of meaningful use as it unfolds, providers can begin to consider how their own practices or organizations might be reshaped to enhance the efficiency and quality of care through the use of an electronic health record system. Be assured you will not be alone as you seek to adopt an EHR system. Through our recently announced collaborative HITECH grants programs and others to be initiated later this year, we will continue to support providers in moving forward. Additional details about the grants are also available in my previous update and at healthit.hhs.gov/HITECHgrants.
To some providers, particularly small or already stretched physician practices or small, rural hospitals, the path toward meaningful use may still seem arduous. To others, who would just prefer to stick with the "status quo," it may seem like an unwanted intrusion. We believe that the time has come for coordinated action. The price of inaction – in adverse events, lost patient lives, delayed or improper treatments, unnecessary procedures, excessive costs, and so on – is just too high, and will only get worse.
There is much at stake and much to do. We must relieve the crushing burden of health care costs in this country by improving efficiency, and assuring the highest level of patient care and safety regardless of geography or demographics. By using current technologies in a meaningful way, as well as technology to be developed in the future, we will take great strides toward solving some of the most vexing problems facing our health care system and creating a new platform for innovative solutions to health care.
I look forward to providing periodic updates, and to continued interactions with all the communities that have so much to gain from this profound transformation.
Sincerely,
David Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.P.
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
This letter is part of a series of ongoing updates from the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) encourages you to share this information as we work together to enhance the quality, safety and value of care and the health of all Americans through the use of electronic health records and health information technology.
For more information and to receive regular updates from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, please subscribe to our Health IT News list.
10-1-09
Interested in helping the state on an EHR initiative?
The State of Michigan has initiated a request of federal funding for a state Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement program.
Work groups will be formed, not just for the grant proposal, but to move beyond that if we receive grant funding. PLEASE volunteer for a workgroup, or more than one. There will be three workgroups in place very soon. The charge of each workgroup and the signup will be found in the attached link.
www.michigan.gov/mihinworkgroups
The attached URL connects to the slides that were presented on September 18, which have more detail about the work groups and the tentative schedules.
Presentation on State HIE Cooperative Agreement Program and Michigan's Approach
9-28-2009
Dear Dr. Blumenthal,
I am writing to express my strong support for and commitment to the Michigan Department of Community Health’s (MDCH) application on behalf of the state of Michigan for the State Health Information Exchange (HIE) Cooperative Agreement program, funding number EP-HIT-09-001.
The State HIE Cooperative Agreement Program presents a significant opportunity for Michigan. Michigan has made considerable progress in expanding the state's capacity for HIE through the creation of the Michigan Health Information Network (MiHIN). The MiHIN is Michigan's initiative to improve health care quality, cost, efficiency, and patient safety through electronic exchange of health information. While state and local financial support enabled the development of the MiHIN and its strategic plan, the Conduit to Care report, recent budgetary constraints have left the state unable to continue funding for this initiative. Michigan is seeking funding and resources that are imperative to build upon the planning work of the MiHIN and provide the critical funding for the implementation phase of statewide health information exchange.
The MiHIN has a strong history of stakeholder inclusion and coordination with other initiatives. My organization has a stake in the planning, implementation and sustainability of the MiHIN. The Michigan Health Information Management Association, (MHIMA) is a component State Association of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). MHIMA is a not-for-profit professional association representing more than 2,200 HIM professionals who work throughout the healthcare industry within the states of Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. HIM professionals are educated, trained, and certified to serve the healthcare industry and the public by managing, analyzing, reporting, and utilizing data vital for patient care, while making it accessible to healthcare providers and appropriate researchers when it is needed most. MHIMA has a designated team of professionals devoted to this initiative in place, and actively working with the other stakeholders in moving forward any initiatives related to electronic health information and health information exchange. We are the professionals who understand the content of the clinical information and how it can be used to enhance clinical quality, and we are now actively working with the state and the nine individual regional health information exchanges in the state as they progress in their operations. We are founding members of the Michigan Coalition for Health Information Exchange.
The Michigan Health Information Management Association (MHIMA) will actively participate in the MiHIN and will work with the appropriate partners to foster an environment of trust, transparency and cooperation that is essential for the success of Michigan’s statewide HIE initiative in the four years of this cooperative agreement program and beyond. We commit to educating our membership and assisting with advocacy of this important initiative. Further, we plan to be active in workgroup participation and other activities that will drive Michigan toward consensus on the planning and implementation of MiHIN. The MHIMA is committed to assisting with identifying and leveraging sources that could be considered matching and in-kind funding, as required by this cooperative agreement program.
The MHIMA is pleased to pledge our support to the Michigan Department of Community Health’s application for this very important initiative. We believe that MDCH is well positioned to organize and facilitate all of the necessary stakeholders to execute the necessary deliverables and goals of this program. The MHIMA is looking forward to working with MDCH and the Office of the National Coordinator for HIT to make statewide and nationwide health information exchange a reality.
Sincerely,
Nancy S. Walker, MS, RHIA
Project Manager, e-HIM Initiative, MHIMA
And Corporate Revenue Cycle Manager
William Beaumont Hospitals
Phone: 248-577-3445
Fax Number: 248-577-3526
Email: nwalker@beaumonthospitals.com
CC: Janet Olszewski, Director, MDCH; Beth Nagle, MDCH; Karen Schmidt, MHIMA; Dan Rode, AHIMA, Beth Just, AHIMA, John Hazewinkel, MSU
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