New interactive portal to help with EHR "meaningful use"

The Colorado Medical Society and CO-REC (Colorado Regional Extension Center) have developed a free, self-guided educational tool to help practices with many of the resources needed to achieve "meaningful use" of electronic health records (EHRs).

The online portal takes physicians and their staff through step-by-step training and educational modules to help them select, implement and meaningfully use certified EHR technology. The portal is available to all Colorado physicians or practice staff members.

The portal contains interactive tools including an EHR readiness assessment, EHR selection criteria assessments, EHR contract considerations, and pre-implementation checklists necessary for successful implementation. It also includes links to statewide resources and information on critical success factors and the most common "failure modes" that drive EHR/HIE implementation, detailed privacy and security requirements.

For more information click here. To access the portal, click here.

December 2011 Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Update

The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing continues to work on implementing the Colorado Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program, through which eligible health care professionals and hospitals can receive incentive payments for adoption and meaningful use of certified EHR technology.

To read more about the update, click here.

CMS Launching Medicaid.gov Website

The Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) announced the initial launch of http://medicaid.gov, the first Federal government website devoted to the policies -- and the people -- of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

This website is the culmination of efforts at the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services to revitalize and reorient the information the Federal government makes available about these programs. As part of our commitment to transparency and information sharing, Medicaid.gov brings to the forefront the items that States, the health policy community and other stakeholders have said they care about most, including: our Federal policy guidance; lists of pending and approved waivers; highlights of our Affordable Care Act implementation efforts; State-specific program information and data; and improved search capabilities.

Proposed Meaningful Use Timeline Changes Encourage Adoption of EHRs

In response to significant input from multiple stakeholders, expert testimony, and countless hours of review, analysis and deliberation, HHS announced its intention to delay the start of Stage 2 meaningful use for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs for a period of one year for those first attesting to meaningful use in 2011. CMS intends to propose such a delay in the Stage 2 meaningful use Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), which is scheduled to be published in February 2012.

Why Did We Make this Decision? Input from the vendor community and the provider community makes clear that the current schedule for compliance with Stage 2 meaningful use objectives in 2013 poses a challenge for those who are attesting to meaningful use in 2011.

The current timetable would require EHR vendors to design, develop, and release new functionality, and for providers to upgrade, implement, and begin using the new functionality as early as October 2012.

What are the Benefits to the Proposed Delay? We believe that a proposed delay will be beneficial for several reasons:

1. We hope that this will give vendors added time to develop certified EHR technologies for Stage 2, as well as give providers additional time to implement new software and meet the new requirements of Stage 2.


2. We also intend to propose maintaining the current expectation for those first attesting to meaningful use in 2012, so that all providers attesting to meaningful use in 2011 or 2012 will begin Stage 2 in 2014.


3. We believe this provides an added incentive for providers to attest to meaningful use in 2011 and rewards early participants.

Under the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, providers who attest early receive greater incentives. And now those providers who first attest in 2011 are eligible for three payment years for meeting the Stage 1 criteria, while those first attesting in 2012 can only have two payment years under Stage 1 criteria.

Are Medicaid Program Participants Affected? Because Medicaid providers can receive an incentive payment for adopting, implementing, or upgrading to certified EHR technology in their first year of Medicaid EHR Incentive Program participation, Medicaid providers will still be able to attest to Stage 1 meaningful use for the next two years (first for a 90-day period, then for a 365-day period).

Therefore, most Medicaid providers do not attest to Stage 2 requirements until 2014 at the earliest.

Apply now for up to $50,000 through the Colorado Rural Health Care Grant Program

The deadlines have been set for the fifth cycle of the Colorado Rural Health Care Grant Program, with online intent to apply forms due on January 13, 2012 and applications due at noon on February 15, 2012. Organizations that are located outside of Colorado’s urbanized areas that provide outpatient primary care services—including medical, oral, and mental health services—are eligible to apply. Grants will be funded for projects that support the rural health infrastructure and strengthen the capacity of rural entities to provide outpatient primary care services now and in the future.

This grant program is funded by the UnitedHealth Group with $1 million in grant funds available for this grant cycle. The maximum award amount is $50,000 per applicant. The Colorado Rural Health Care Grant Council oversees the program. The Council is responsible for developing and providing oversight to this program funded by the UnitedHealth Group. The Colorado Rural Health Center serves as the grant administrator.

Read more about this funding opportunity
Fill out an Intent to Apply form
Download the grant guidance
Download the application

Contact Shelly Collings with any questions:720.248.2742 • sc@coruralhealth.org

HRSA Webinar: for Overcoming the Gray Areas of Meaningful Use Stage 1

Tuesday December 13, 2011, 2pm EST

This webinar provides tips and guidance of how safety net providers, such as health centers, critical access hospitals, and rural health clinics can overcome common gray areas of meeting Meaningful Use Stage 1 objectives.

Gray areas are objectives within the final rule that are still not clear to providers. Presenters from the Regional Extension Centers (REC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will review these problem areas based on previous comments and questions directed to HRSA, CMS, and ONC staff from safety net providers.

These areas include: dealing with vendors and other EHR issues; attesting data to CMS and State Medicaid programs; troubleshooting quality measures; and other Meaningful Use Stage 1 problems that safety net providers have encountered. In addition, this webinar will include a presentation by CMS Staff on “Adopt, Implement, and Upgrade” (AIU) of electronic health records.

Presenters include staff from both the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Regional Extension Centers.

Questions to presenters are welcome ahead of the event and may be emailed to healthit@hrsa.gov

To register: http://webcast.streamlogics.com/audience/index.asp?eventid=84138124

HHS Extends Meaningful Use Deadline

Although it’s not officially out in regulations, it appears Meaningful Use Stage II will be pushed back to 2014 from 2013.

To read the ModernHealthcare.com article, click here.

Our January 2012 Consortium webinar will have more information. To register for the January 2012 Consortium webinar, click here.

CMS’ New Medicare EHR Incentive Program Guide for Eligible Professionals

CMS has created a new comprehensive tool, An Introduction to the Medicare EHR Incentive Program for Eligible Professionals, to help guide EPs through all of the phases of the Medicare EHR Incentive Program—from eligibility and registration to attestation and payment. Chapters provide information on:

EHR Incentive Program basics
How to participate (determining eligibility and registration)
Meaningful use and choosing measures
Attestation
Helpful resources on the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs

The guide is interactive. Users can click on sections of the Table of Contents to learn more about specific areas of the program. Interactive tabs are also included at the bottom of each page where users can jump from chapter to chapter. Additionally, each section provides readers with user-friendly screen shots, charts, and links to the CMS website.

Note: If a user prefers a hard copy document, the guide can also be printed. Links are written out and hyperlinked throughout the guide.

The guide can be found on the Educational Materials section of the EHR website, along with several other helpful tools and resources for participants in the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.

Updated Information on CQM: NQF # 0084: Heart Failure: Warfarin Therapy Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

CMS suggests eligible professionals participating in the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs not select NQF 0084: Heart Failure: Warfarin Therapy Patients with Atrial Fibrillation as one of their additional clinical quality measures (CQMs) for meaningful use. As there are other FDA-approved medications available for use as an anticoagulant, CMS suggests this measure not be selected as one of the measures reported for the CQM objective.

CMS does not expect eligible professionals to change their certified EHR systems or purchase another system to replace this measure. Eligible professionals may continue to report NQF 0084 for the 2011-2012 program years if their certified EHR system uses a module that is only certified for nine CQMs with this measure included as one of the nine.

To view all 44 clinical quality measure specifications, please download the EP Measure Specifications Zip file.

Additionally, the Guide to Clinical Quality Measures provides an overview of CQMs, how to choose the appropriate CQMs for meaningful use, and how CQMs are reported during attestation.

5010 HIPAA: 90 day Enforcement Discretion Period

Last week, CMS announced a “90 day Enforcement Discretion Period” related to the 5010 HIPAA standard transactions.

It is important to note that this is not delaying the federally mandated start date of January 1, 2012! However, it does give CMS the ability to enforce compliance in the first 90 days of 2011. You are required to continue “working …to become compliant with the new HIPAA standards..”

With this announcement we also strongly encourage all covered entities to determine how they must set up their software to allow generation of 5010 transactions for those payers who are ready on January 1st, and still allow 4010a transactions for non ready payers.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Office of E-Health Standards and Services Announces 90-Day Period of Enforcement Discretion for Compliance with New HIPAA Transaction Standards

Today the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Office of E-Health Standards and Services (OESS)announced that it would not initiate enforcement action until March 31, 2012, with respect to any HIPAA covered entity that is not in compliance with the ASC X12 Version 5010 (Version 5010), NCPDP Telecom D.0 (NCPDP D.0) and NCPDP Medicaid Subrogation 3.0 (NCPDP 3.0) standards. Notwithstanding OESS’ discretionary application of its enforcement authority, the compliance date for use of these new standards remains January 1, 2012 (small health plans have until January 1, 2013 to comply with NCPDP 3.0).

CMS’ Office of E-Health Standards and Services is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ component that enforces compliance with HIPAA transaction and code set standards.

OESS encourages all covered entities to continue working with their trading partners to become compliant with the new HIPAA standards, and to determine their readiness to accept the new standards as of January 1, 2012. While enforcement action will not be taken, OESS will continue to accept complaints associated with compliance with Version 5010, NCPDP D.0 and NCPDP 3.0 transaction standards during the 90-day period beginning January 1, 2012. If requested by OESS, covered entities that are the subject of complaints (known as “filed-against entities”) must produce evidence of either compliance or a good faith effort to become compliant with the new HIPAA standards during the 90-day period. OESS made the decision for a discretionary enforcement period based on industry feedback revealing that, with only about 45 days remaining before the January 1, 2012 compliance date, testing between some covered entities and their trading partners has not yet reached a threshold whereby a majority of covered entities would be able to be in compliance by January 1. Feedback indicates that the number of submitters, the volume of transactions, and other testing data used as indicators of the industry’s readiness to comply with the new standards have been low across some industry sectors. OESS has also received reports that many covered entities are still awaiting software upgrades.

Version 5010, NCPDP Telecom D.0 and NCPDP Medicaid Subrogation 3.0 standards represent significant improvement over the current standard versions. NCPDP Telecom D.0 addresses certain pharmacy industry needs. NCPDP Medicaid Subrogation 3.0 allows state Medicaid programs to recoup payments for pharmacy services in cases where a third party payer has primary financial responsibility. Version 5010 in particular provides more functionality for transactions such as eligibility requests and health care claims status Implementation of Version 5010 also is a prerequisite for using the updated ICD-10 CM diagnosis and ICD-10-PCS inpatient procedure code set in electronic health care transactions effective October 1, 2013.

Training Opportunity: ICD-10: The Key to a Successful Transition

Presented by:
The Association of Rural Health Professional Coders

One-day training workshops for Colorado CAHs & Rural Hospitals
- FY2011 SHIP grant participants: FREE (unlimited number of attendees)
- Non-SHIP hospitals/CRHC Members: $49 per attendee
- Non-SHIP hospitals/Non- CRHC Members: $99 per attendee

February 21 - location tbd
February 22 - CRHC Office – Aurora, CO
February 23, 2012 - location tbd

Workshop Objectives:
· Demonstrate the conversion from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10 for the three most common inpatient diagnostic cases for all short term and acute care and critical access hospitals
· Gain an understanding of the productivity and documentation issues in the conversion
· Gain an understanding of the budget dollars needed to be incorporated into the hospital’s strategic plan
· Planning for your transition: budget, training, staffing, etc.

Workshop includes:
- Printed course materials
- CEUs available for each participant
- 1 year membership to the Association of Rural Health Professional Coders (ARHPC) for each participant – i.e. access to consultants/specialists to answer your questions

Who should attend:
- Everyone throughout the hospital who needs to know about the changes from ICD-9 to ICD-10 and the impacts it can have on your organization

For more information contact Danette Swanson; 303-577-0357; ds@coruralhealth.org
To register – contact Courtnay Ryan; 303-309-6807; cr@coruralhealth.org

CRHC is the recipient of the Federal HRSA Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) Grant: CFDA 93.301; Award 6 H3HRH00038-10-01

HRSA Webinar: Tips for Using Your Health IT System for Population Health Management

Friday, November 18, 12pm MST

Health IT systems are proving to be a valuable tool in managing population health. This webinar provides tips and examples from experts on how to use your health information technology (IT) system to achieve this.

By focusing on the health of a community or population, providers can determine what risks or variables are affecting the public health of the community as a whole. Health IT systems can collect patient health data, allowing safety net providers to view health information across their entire patient population to achieve greater health outcomes. Presenters will provide examples of how health IT systems are used for managing population health within their communities to improve health outcomes.

Presenters:
• Richard Elmore, Office of National Coordinator for Health IT
• Staff from Maine Primary Care Association
• Staff from Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO)
• Staff from Finger Lakes Community Health

To register: http://webcast.streamlogics.com/audience/index.asp?eventid=77303712

Email questions or comments to HRSA’s Health IT mailbox at: healthit@hrsa.gov

Previous HRSA Health and Quality Webinars are available at: http://www.hrsa.gov/healthit

THE Consortium November Webinar: 5010 Readiness & Medicaid Incentive Program Update

Join us for the November Consortium webinar, 5010 Readiness & Medicaid Incentive Program Update on Thursday, November 17th from 12:00pm-1:15pm MT where we will update you on the Medicaid Incentive Program for Colorado and where we will help you get ready for 5010.

5010 transactions will be upon us in less than six weeks and for some providers could result in significant cash flow problems. This webinar (a repeat of one we did earlier) will give you tools and information to ensure you are as prepared as possible.

To register, click here.

EHR System Helps Improve the Quality of Care for Patients

An Interview with Dr. Karen Smith

A physician since 1989, Dr. Karen Smith runs a one-physician family medicine practice in Raeford, NC. She credits her electronic health record (EHR) with allowing her to deliver quality care in a rural setting – and to do it so efficiently that she still has time to be a wife and mother. ONC talked to Dr. Smith about how she uses her EHR system to care for her patients—whether she’s working in the office, supervising laundry detail at home, or traveling out of state. She is also one of the providers featured in ONC’s series of print ads highlighting key MUVers – Meaningful Use Vanguards – who have adopted certified EHR technology.

To read the entire interview, click here.

HRSA Webinar: Tips for Using Your Health IT System for Population Health Management

Health IT systems are proving to be a valuable tool in managing population health. This webinar provides tips and examples from experts on how to use your health information technology (IT) system to achieve this.

By focusing on the health of a community or population, providers can determine what risks or variables are affecting the public health of the community as a whole. Health IT systems can collect patient health data, allowing safety net providers to view health information across their entire patient population to achieve greater health outcomes. Presenters will provide examples of how health IT systems are used for managing population health within their communities to improve health outcomes.

Presenters:
• Richard Elmore, Office of National Coordinator for Health IT
• Staff from Maine Primary Care Association
• Staff from Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO)
• Staff from Finger Lakes Community Health

To register: http://webcast.streamlogics.com/audience/index.asp?eventid=77303712
Email questions or comments to HRSA’s Health IT mailbox at: healthit@hrsa.gov

Previous HRSA Health and Quality Webinars are available at: http://www.hrsa.gov/healthit

Version 5010 and ICD-10: Closer than you think

Please join the Rural Assistance Center for a free webinar.

Webinar Title: Version 5010 and ICD-10: Closer than you think
Date: Tuesday, November, 15, 2011
Time: 1:00pm Mountain

Featured Speakers:
• Christi Dant, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• Bill Finerfrock, National Association of Rural Health Clinics

Major changes are coming to electronic health care transactions and diagnosis and procedure codes. Version 5010 is the new standard covered entities must use for HIPAA electronic transactions beginning January 1, 2012, and a transition to ICD-10 codes will happen on October 1, 2013. These changes go far beyond IT systems and will substantially affect clinical, administrative and business operations.

In this webinar, Christi Dant of the CMS Office of E-Health Standards & Services, along with Bill Finerfrock of the National Association of Rural Health Clinics, will explain what you need to know in making the transition to these new requirements, from the provider and the facility perspectives. They will also discuss advantages these new requirements offer over previous transaction versions and ICD codes.

Slides for this presentation will be available on the RAC website prior to the start of the webinar.

Registration: Visit www.raconline.org/contact/register.php to register. Please note, there are a limited number of seats available; however, we hope to make a recording available on our website after the live event. This webinar is free. A phone connection and high-speed internet are required to participate. Connection details will be e-mailed to you prior to the event.

Save Money on IT Implementation and Ongoing Support Through DASH! Take Our Survey Today!

DASH, Data Services for Healthcare, was voted on last week at the CAH Workshop as the name of the organization being developed through HRSA funding to support IT in rural hospitals and clinics. Spanish Peaks Regional Medical Center and CRHC, in partnership with four other hospitals, are currently spearheading the development of DASH which will function in a cooperative manner to reduce the high cost of implementing and maintaining IT systems in each facility. DASH services are currently being developed and we need input from each facility to gauge interest and help us prioritize service development.

Please take this brief survey by November 11th to inform us of your interest in participating.

November 30 is the Last Day for Eligible Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to Register and Attest for an Incentive Payment for FY 2011

Eligible hospitals and CAHs have 60 days after the end of the fiscal year to submit their attestation for the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program. The last day that eligible hospitals and CAHs can register and attest for fiscal year (FY) 2011 is November 30, 2011.

For eligible hospitals and CAHs, this means that they must successfully register and then attest to demonstrating meaningful use by this date in order to receive an incentive payment for FY 2011.

Note, in order to attest, you must have begun your 90-day reporting period on or before July 3, 2011. Registration will be open after November 30th for eligible hospitals and CAHs who wish to register for a 2012 payment.

CMS encourages eligible hospitals and CAHs not to miss the deadline to attest for an incentive payment for FY 2011.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact CRHC .

Registration Resources

To help eligible hospitals and CAHs with registration, CMS has created a Registration User Guide for Eligible Hospitals and CAHs. Additionally, eligible hospitals and CAHs can view the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs Webinar for Eligible Hospitals and CAHs, which walks hospitals through the registration process.

Webinar: Business of Telemedicine & Sustainability

The practice and deliver of healthcare is changing, with an emphasis on improving quality, safety, efficiency, and access to care. Telemedicine can help you achieve these goals.

The University of Arizone Rural Health Office and the Southwest Telehealth Resource Center invite you to a free webinar on the implementation and practice of telemedicine.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm MST

For more information, click here.

UPDATE: CMS Webinar Series on the EHR Incentive Program

The date of the November webinar has been moved to November 29th.

The CMS Kansas City Regional Office, in collaboration with the CMS Denver Regional office, is pleased to announce a series of three Webinars / Teleconferences pertaining to the Electronic Health Records Incentive Program:

• 10/25/2011: Overview of the Medicare & Medicaid Incentive Program
• 10/26/2011: Understanding Registration & Attestation for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program
• 11/29/2011: Understanding the Meaningful Use of Electronic Health Records

Target Audience: Eligible Professionals, Eligible Hospitals and CAHs in the following states: CO, IA, KS, MO, MT, NE, ND, SD, UT & WY

You may participate in as many sessions as you choose. Each session will begin with a brief presentation followed by ample time for participants to ask questions. Registration is not required. Each session will accommodate 100 webinar participants and 200 teleconference participants on a first come, first served basis.

Overview of the Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Program
Tuesday - October 25, 2011 – 4:00-5:00 PM (MT) / 5:00-6:00 PM (CT)
Webinar: https://webinar.cms.hhs.gov/ehr-general/
Audio Conference Line: 800-603-1774
Meeting ID: 17251278

Understanding Registration and Attestation for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program
Wednesday - October 26, 2011 – 7:00-8:00 AM (MT) / 8:00-9:00 AM (CT)
Webinar: https://webinar.cms.hhs.gov/ehr-regattest/
Audio Conference Line: 800-602-1774
Meeting ID: 17254385

Understanding the Meaningful Use of Electronic Health Records
Friday - November 29, 2011 – 12:00-1:00 PM (MT) / 1:00-2:00 PM (CT)
Webinar: https://webinar.cms.hhs.gov/ehr-mu/
Audio Conference Line: 800-603-1774
Meeting ID: 17255798

HIT in the Patient-Centered Medical Home

An E-Quality Update from Kaiser Permanente
by Ted Epperly, MD, and Dana Hamilton, RHIT

All of us in the medical community face challenges as we implement more integrated and coordinated patient-centered care for our patients, but perhaps none more than primary care physicians. The Patient-Centered Medical Home — coupled with health information technology — is proving to be a successful model that allows physicians to provide comprehensive primary care in communities across the country. Similar to Kaiser Permanente's care model, PCHMs facilitate partnerships between individual patients and their personal physicians and their teams, and when appropriate, the patient's family.

In our PCHM, a large integrated family medicine residency practice in Idaho, there are three essential points that have helped HIT revolutionize our operation. These points have not only helped us grow, but have enabled us to thrive:

1. Do not skimp on IT resources. Having the right equipment is crucial. This includes enough computing power to not only run your practice management and electronic health record software, but to also allow for immediate growth. Growth starts before you even get the new server out of the box, so be sure to include capacity for extra users, storage, and add-on software when calculating for hardware needs.

2. Hire qualified IT support staff. Historically, IT support has been a place of bare-bones staffing in the health care arena. That has changed in the last few years, and having IT staff with health care knowledge will move you light years ahead. There are a number of teaching institutions that graduate-qualified health information management folks — including the Office of the National Coordinator for HIT, which now has its own program to educate HIT staff. Ensuring that your IT staff "gets" what is happening in the clinic will foster great working relationships with end users.

3. Training! Too often, we start the provider workforce with too little training to get started successfully. Technology is made to look easy, but operating the huge number of applications requires, at least, basic training. This has been, in our opinion, the greatest downfall for health information technology working for the masses. Too many times we give just barely enough training to get teams started, but we don't give enough to make the end user successful. By improving training, we can set up users to be knowledgeable enough to not just squeak by, but to be efficient and more independent of IT support for daily tasks.

Bringing the PCMH to Idaho and other parts of rural America poses challenges of its own, including fragmented care and lack of communication for follow-up. With few providers going into these rural areas, patients are shunted throughout communities to get the care they need for preventive services, chronic diseases, and specialty care. The PCMH model addresses these challenges directly by creating a broad-based team, which can include multiple providers, community services, and specialists. The PCMH model and the associated IT services can create a well-formed home for high-risk patients and integrates the rural community as one team.

Access, quality, management, continuity and integration of care, test and referral tracking, and registry creation are all enhanced by HIT. When implemented well, they can start working for the practice to reduce costs, improve quality, and increase patient and team satisfaction.

It is an exciting time to be a primary care provider, and to start to see what the promise of HIT and the Information Age will bring to the practice of medicine.

Ted Epperly, MD, is a primary care physician, CEO of the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho, co-chair of the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative Center on Accountable Care, and Past President and Past Chairman of the Board American Academy of Family Physicians.

Dana Hamilton is Director of Clinical Informatics Family Medicine Residency of Idaho.

Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center 2nd CAH in Colorado to Attest to Meaningful Use!

Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center successfully attested for Stage 1 Meaningful Use of their Electronic Health Records on October 25th making them the second Critical Access Hospital in Colorado to attest and apply for Medicare EHR Incentive Funds. During the last year, they overcame many obstacles on their journey to Meaningful Use and could not have reached their goal without strong leadership and perseverance. CRHC is delighted to have had the opportunity to work with Heart of the Rockies as it's CO-REC partner to help guide and council them along the way.


Congratulations Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center!

Critical Considerations for CAHs Seeking EHR Payments

When I attested to our organization's ability to meaningfully use electronic health records on April 18, 2011, I thought the really hard part of Phase I was behind me. Talking to colleagues who were at prospective payment system hospitals, their payment process was simple; as soon as they attested for meaningful use, the CMS site locked them for payment, did the calculations of what they were entitled to receive, and three to four weeks later, they had a check.

For a critical-access hospital, it is "Not so fast, Grasshopper."

To read the rest of Stephen Stewart's, CIO of Henry County Health Center in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, article click here.

CENTURA Health Connects to the CORHIO Health Information Exchange Network

All Centura facilities went live on CORHIO on October 24, 2011. By connecting its current electronic health record with CORHIO’s secure network, Centura's physicians and other medical care providers from across the state are linked to important real-time health information about their patients.

Centura Health Uses Industry-Leading Technology to Improve Care Coordination For Residents in Metro Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Summit County and Cañon City.

To read Centura Health's press release, click here.

To read CORHIO's press release, click here.

A Quick Guide to Clinical Quality Measures

August 30, 2011, CMS hosted a webinar about the Clinical Quality Measures and Meaningful Use. The following document contains questions and answers from the live Q&A portion of the webinar, and provides answers to the remaining unanswered questions that were received by CMS during the webinar and in follow-up emails.

To read the document, click here.

CRHC’s 2012 Membership Drive Now Underway!

Over the past 20 years, CRHC has become our state’s most trusted resource for rural healthcare. In the current economic landscape, it is more important than ever that we continue to support and advocate on behalf of rural healthcare and the safety net community. We remain loyally committed to ensuring our members have the resources and support they need to keep their communities healthy and vibrant. CRHC is well positioned to provide 20+ more years of support to ensure access to healthcare for all Coloradans, and we recognize that our work would be impossible without the dedication of our loyal members.

CRHC has three levels of membership to suit your organizational/individual needs:
• Investing Member
• Classic Sponsor
• Partner

Joining is easy. Click here to join today!

At the Classic Sponsor and Partner level memberships, your organization is given additional opportunities to support and reach out to rural healthcare providers. Please visit our website for more information on the benefits of each level. Feel free to contact Cari Fouts, Director of Communication & Development (cf@coruralhealth.org, or 303-565-5847) if you have questions about your membership or visit our website for more information.

With your support, we can continue to ensure all Coloradans have access to high quality healthcare services in 2012 and beyond.

CMS is Holding a Second Webinar on the CQMs and the EHR Incentive Programs for Small-Practice Providers

What: Webinar- The CMS EHR Incentive Programs: Small-Practice Providers and Clinical Quality Measures (CQMs)
When: October 25 from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. EDT
Why: To help small-practice providers successfully report CQMs
How: Register online

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is holding a second webinar on CQMs and their importance in attesting to meaningful use for the EHR Incentive Programs. CMS hopes to help small-practice and rural providers become more knowledgeable in the topics below:

• An overview of the CQMs
• How to report CQMs during attestation
• Why CQMs are included in the EHR Incentive Programs
• Answers to many FAQs on the CQMs and the EHR Incentive Programs

Although, small-practice providers are the intended audience of this webinar, anyone is welcome to join.

The webinar presentation, a document with over 300 questions and answers from the webinar held on August 30, and an informational CQM fact sheet will be provided to participants before the webinar as downloadable handouts.

Additionally, registrants will be given an opportunity to submit questions through the registration site before the webinar that will be answered by CMS subject matter experts and posted to the CMS EHR website a few weeks after the webinar has been completed.

Registration

Individuals can register online for the webinar. After successfully registering, they will be sent a confirmation message with a link to the webinar site. Space is limited, so interested participants should register now to secure their place.

Health IT and Quality Webinars from HRSA

Health IT and Quality webinars are technical assistance webcasts for HRSA grantees and other safety net providers who are either using or planning to use health IT to improve the quality of patient care. Each webinar features experts with hands-on experience from within the safety net community, as well as speakers with various grantee experiences and federal expertise.

Upcoming Webinars
■October 21: " Tips for Going Live with your Health IT System", 2pm ET (Registration Open)

■November 18: “Tips For Overcoming the Gray Areas of Meaningful Use Stage 1 for Safety Net Providers” (Registration Open)

■December 13: “Tips for Using Your Health IT System for Population Health Management” (Registration Open)

■January 20: “Tips For Engaging Safety Net Patients Using Health IT”(Registration Open)
Topics and dates subject to change.

These webinars focus on health IT and quality topics based on feedback from HRSA grantees that includes becoming meaningful users of health IT. Any topic suggestions are welcome and can be sent to healthit@hrsa.gov.

THE Consortium October Webinar: EHR Policies & Procedures Continued

Join us for the October Consortium webinar EHR Policies & Procedures Con't on Thursday, October 20th from 12:00-1:15 pm MT where we will continue September's discussion of best practice policies and procedures needed once an Electronic Health Record is implemented and share more Meaningful Use notes from the field.

To register, click here.

CMS Clarifies Process for Attesting to Meaningful Use Quality Measures

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today issued a clarification on the requirements for attestation to the clinical quality measures (CQMs) needed to meet the definition of "meaningful use" under the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs. The clarification also addresses the documentation needed to demonstrate compliance in this area. The CQMs are only one part of the attestation process.

Hospitals have expressed considerable concern about the accuracy of the CQM data generated by their certified EHR products. Given that the attestation statements for meaningful use require an affirmation that the CQM data are "true and accurate," it has been unclear what is required for attestation in this area. In response, CMS posted the following listserve message today:

What Does Attestation for the EHR Incentive Programs Entail?
Over 114,000 eligible professionals and hospitals have registered for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs. As more hospitals move towards meeting meaningful use and attesting, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) wants to make sure everyone understands what attestation entails.

In order to attest, successfully demonstrate meaningful use, and receive an incentive payment under the Medicare EHR Incentive Program, eligible hospitals must indicate that they agree with several attestation statements.

Eligible hospitals must agree that the information submitted:

• is accurate to the knowledge and belief of the hospital or the person submitting on behalf of the hospital.


• is accurate and complete for numerators, denominators, exclusions, and measures applicable to the hospital.


• includes information on all patients to whom the measure applies.


• for clinical quality measures (CQMs), was generated as output from an identified certified EHR technology.

By agreeing to the above statements, the hospital is attesting to providing all of the information necessary from certified EHR technology, uncertified EHR technology, and/or paper-based records in order to render complete and accurate information for all meaningful use core and menu set measures except CQMs.

Attesting to CQM Data's Validity
CMS considers information to be accurate and complete for CQMs to the extent that it is identical to the output that was generated from certified EHR technology. In other words, the hospital is only attesting that what was put in the attestation module is identical to the output generated by its certified EHR technology. Therefore, the numerator, denominator, and exclusion information for CQMs must be reported directly from information generated by certified EHR technology.

CMS, through meaningful use, does not require any data validation. Eligible hospitals are not required to provide any additional information beyond what is generated from certified EHR technology in order to satisfy the requirement for submitting CQM information, even if the reported values include zeros. If a hospital has concerns about the accuracy of its output, the hospital can still attest but should work with its vendor and/or the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to improve the accuracy of the individual product and/or the level of accuracy guaranteed by certification.

CMS recommends that hospitals print out or save an electronic copy of the CQM report used at attestation from their certified EHR. The eligible hospital should retain this copy for its records so that the hospital can show its numbers in the event of an audit. Upon audit, this documentation will be used to validate that the hospital accurately attested and submitted CQMs.

Hospitals have until Nov. 30 to attest to meaningful use and be eligible for a Medicare EHR incentive payment for fiscal year (FY) 2011. They must report on a 90-day reporting period ending on or before Sept. 30 (the last day of FY 2011). For more information about the EHR Incentive Programs, including a description of the CQMs and the other requirements to meet meaningful use, visit the CMS EHR website at http://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms.

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact David Ginsberg, Senior Advisor, THE Consortium at dg@coruralhealth.org.

EMR/Computer Hardware and Services at Discounted Prices

As a reseller for Dell, Hewlett Packard and Equus, Istonish, a classic sponsor of CRHC and THE Consortium, can almost always provide cheaper pricing than the EMR vendors on all servers, laptops, desktops, tablets and network gear. Call Istonish today to make sure that you are getting the best possible prices for your EMR implementation!

Services associated with hardware purchases include:

• Providing onsite installation of new computers to ensure network and printer connectivity



• Providing support for installing, moving, adding, or changing computers in your facility



• Providing disposal of obsolete items

For more information, contact Matt Commander, Regional Account Executive at Istonish—mcommander@istonish.com or 720-529-4625.

The First Critical Access Hospital to Attest in Colorado

Spanish Peaks Regional Medical Center successfully attested for Stage 1 Meaningful Use on October 13th! They are the first Critical Access Hospital in Colorado to attest and apply for Medicare EHR Incentive Funds.

During the last year, they have overcome many obstacles on the way to Meaningful Use and could not have reached their goal without the hard work of Todd Oberheu, CEO, Bill Bolt, CIO, Mark See, IT Manager and Cindy Brooks, DON. CRHC is delighted to have had the opportunity to work with Spanish Peaks as it's CO-REC partner.

Congratulations Spanish Peaks Regional Medical Center!

Five ways telemedicine can boost care in rural communities

It’s no secret telemedicine has had a profound impact on the industry, both nationally and globally. Organizations in big and small cities are seeing the benefits of employing such technology, and the biggest impression could arguably be on those living in rural communities.

To read the entire article, click here.

HRSA Webinar: Tips for Going Live with a Health IT System

Friday, October 21, 2011 – 12:00-1:30 PM MDT

This webinar will explore the experiences of safety net providers who have gone live with a health information technology (IT) system in the last 18 months. Even with much preparation, it is difficult to prepare for all the unexpected bumps in the road. Speakers will present lessons learned and provide tips for successfully planning and triaging problems during the first weeks of going live. Topics include:

• The impact on a provider’s clinical and business workflow;
• Making critical changes with your health IT vendor;
• Meeting meaningful use stage 1 functionality; and
• Identifying useful resources and/or training.

Speakers will also provide advice on change management and how to ensure that this period does not affect patient care. The webinar will cover both primary and inpatient care for rural and urban safety net providers. Presenters include:

• Kirby Craft, Chief Information Officer, Magee General Hospital
• Francis Aframgyening, Executive Director, Care Alliance Health Centers
• Lynn Hudson, Consultant, South Carolina Regional Extension Center

Register at: http://webcast.streamlogics.com/audience/index.asp?eventid=99703614

Key EHR Incentive Program Registration Dates Reminder from CMS

CMS wants to remind eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) of the key registration dates for the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs, and provide information to help them successfully register and start their path to payment for 2011.

Important Registration Dates to Remember:
 Nov 30, 2011 – Last day for eligible hospitals and CAHs to register and attest to receive a Medicare incentive payment for FY2011.
 Feb 29, 2012 – Last day for EPs to register and attest to receive a Medicare incentive payment for CY2011.

When Should Providers Register?
CMS encourages providers to register for the Medicare and/or Medicaid EHR Incentive Program(s) as soon as possible to avoid payment delays. Note that not all states have launched a Medicaid EHR Incentive Program yet; providers in Colorado will be able to register for the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program in Spring 2012.

Registration Resources
CMS has a number of resources to help providers successfully register for the EHR Incentive Programs:
 Step-by-step registration guides, available on the CMS EHR Registration page
 A number of FAQs about registration on the EHR Incentive Programs website
 Webinars on YouTube to help guide providers through the registration process – one for EPs and one for hospitals

HIT Adoption Toolboxes developed by HRSA's OHITQ

HRSA's Office of Health Information Technology and Quality (OHITQ) has developed a series of HIT Adoption Toolboxes to help implement health IT applications. The toolboxes are designed to serve the needs of a broad audience within health centers and other safety net providers. Key IT stakeholders have reviewed and contribed to the toolboxes to ensure they are accurate, relevant, and effective in supporting health IT in safety net organizations.

Rural Health IT Adoption Toolbox
Contains a range of resources for rural health providers as they consider implementing health IT. Topics and modules include telehealth; health IT selection and implementation; project management and staffing; financing and sustainability; opportunities for collaboration; and patient quality improvement, evaluation and optimization.

Health IT for Children Toolbox
A compilation of health IT information targeted at children's health care needs, ranging from pediatric electronic medical records to children's health insurance coverage. Provides specific health IT resources online to support information technology in children's health promotion and disease prevention, and identifies opportunities to link other systems that serve children, including Head Start, schools, foster care, etc.

For more information on the above toolkits, click here.

Materials from CMS' “Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs: Registration and Attestation for Eligible Professionals” Call Now Available

CMS hosted a National Provider Call on Fri Sep 9 on the topic of Registration and Attestation for Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs for Eligible Professionals, including:

 Path to Payment
 Highlights of Registration and Attestation Processes
 Third Party Proxy
 Troubleshooting
 Helpful Resources
 A question & answer session

The presentation, transcript, and audio recording from this call and other selected calls can now be found under the “Presentations for Providers” section on the Educational Materials page of the CMS EHR website.

Please refer to the transcript for clarifications to the audio recording for the Fri Sep 9 call.

CRHC’s First Rural Clinic Reaches Meaningful Use and Attests to Medicare for Incentive Funding

The Colorado Rural Health Center (CRHC) started working with MidValley Family Practice as their Regional Extension Center (REC) partner in June 2011. At that point, Dr. Glenn Kotz and his practice manager, Joyce, were well on their way to reaching Meaningful Use (MU) and they began their 90-day reporting period on June 26th. During their 90-day reporting period, CRHC assisted in performing four Meaningful Use Gap Analyses which assessed the measures the practice was meeting and which measures still needed adjustments, including changing current workflows to accommodate the collecting the new measures. In addition, MidValley performed a data exchange test with a pediatric practice in Boulder also using Centricity’s software.

The practice initially struggled with delivering the mandatory clinical summaries to patients after each visit which are both time consuming and require printing off mass amounts of paper. However, they were able to find a temporary solution which will be fixed once a patient portal is implemented and patients can access their summary electronically after their visit.

MidValley Family Practice successfully attested with Medicare on September 26th and takes great pride in the fact that they are the first to attest to MU as a CRHC REC partner. CRHC is delighted to have had the privilege to work with MidValley Family Practice and help them achieve MU which shows their commitment to providing excellent patient care. Congratulations MidValley Family Practice!

CRHC Congratulates Montrose Memorial Hospital on Successfully Attesting to the Medicare Program

CRHC wishes to congratulate Montrose Memorial Hospital on being one of the first rural hospitals in Colorado to successfully attest to the Medicare Incentive Program as a Meaningful User of their EHR system. Montrose Memorial Hospital attested on September 29th further proving their committment to excellent patient care.

Congratulations Montrose Memorial Hospital!

CMS Has Two New YouTube Videos

CMS has posted new videos to the CMS YouTube page, including:

• An overview video, titled EHR: Delaware Meaningful Use Recognition Ceremony, where providers participating in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program were honored.
• An overview video, titled EHR: Cherokee Nation Receives Medicaid EHR Incentive Payment, where Dr. Woitte and the Cherokee Nation were honored for participating in the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program and for being the first tribe to receive an incentive payment.

Make sure to visit the CMS YouTube page to see the rest of our EHR Incentive Program videos.

October 3 is the Last Day for Eligible Professionals to Begin their 90-Day Reporting Period for 2011

The last day that eligible professionals (EPs) can begin their 90-day reporting period in calendar year (CY) 2011 for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program is October 3, 2011. For EPs, this means that they must begin their consecutive 90-day reporting period by October 3 in order to attest to meeting meaningful use and be eligible to receive an incentive payment for CY 2011.

For EPs who have already completed their reporting period, CMS has a number of tools available to help prepare for attestation. EPs can use the CMS Eligible Professional Attestation Worksheet to record their meaningful use measures to have as a reference when attesting for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program in CMS' web-based Registration and Attestation System. The Meaningful Use Attestation Calculator and Attestation User Guide for Eligible Professionals can also help EPs to successfully attest to meeting meaningful use.

CMS encourages EPs not to miss the opportunity to participate in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program this year. Begin your reporting period by October 3rd to get on the path to payment for CY 2011.

Transcripts, Presentations, and Audio Files from CMS' Two National Provider Calls on the EHR Incentive Programs

Materials from two of this summer’s CMS National Provider Calls are now online!

CMS’ National Provider Call on July 14, 2011, “Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Basics for Eligible Professionals,” provided basic information on the Incentive Programs for eligible professionals, and answered the following questions:

• Who is eligible?
• How much are the incentives and how are they calculated?
• How does one get started?
• What are major milestones regarding participation and payment?
• How does one report on meaningful use?
• Where can helpful resources be found?

CMS’ National Provider Call on August 18, 2011, “Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Program: Understanding Meaningful Use,” provided information about the meaningful use requirements of the EHR Incentive Programs, and covered the following topic areas:

• Defining "meaningful use"
• The requirements for Stage 1 of meaningful use (2011 and 2012)
• Attestation for meaningful use
• Goals of the Meaningful Use Objectives Specification Sheets
o Stage 1 EHR Meaningful Use Specification Sheets for Eligible Professionals
o Stage 1 EHR Meaningful Use Specification Sheets for Eligible Hospitals
• Question & answer session

Materials from these calls are now available, and include each of the call’s presentations, transcripts, and audio recordings. Materials from both of these calls can be found under the Presentations for Providers section on the Educational Materials page of the CMS EHR Website.

** Please note these are large files and will take some time to open in your browser. **

THE Consortium September Webinar: EHR Policies and Procedures

Join us for our next webinar, EHR Policies and Procedures: Important Meaningful Use and Incentive program updates next Thursday, September 22nd from 12:00pm - 1:15pm MDT.

We will begin a series on best practice policies and procedures needed once an Electronic Health Record is implemented. We will also provide an update on Meaningful Use objectives and incentive payments!

To register for this webinar, click here.

Find Out if You Are Prepared For Version 5010

Summer is coming to an end, and the Version 5010 transition deadline is now only four months away! As the January 1, 2012 deadline approaches, your transition should be well underway. There are certain steps CMS recommends to be taking now during the fall to make sure you are on track for a smooth transition. If you missed the Consortium's June webinar discussing 5010 preparation, you can listen to the archive webinar by contacting tm@coruralhealth.org, or be sure to join our Consortium webinar November 17 which will repeat the June webinar to hear more details on how you should be preparing.

If you are a provider, you should:

• Continue external testing and making any revisions to systems based on previous internal testing
  


• Test those transactions that are used on a daily basis, such as claims and eligibility determinations

If you are a vendor, you should:

• Continue to conduct external trading partner testing of Version 5010 with customers to achieve Level II compliance



• Conduct solution rollout and provide customer support for the Version 5010 transition through the January 1, 2012 compliance date

Keep Up to Date on Version 5010 and ICD-10.
For more information visit the CMS website. Please visit Version 5010 for the most current information on all 5010 issues and visit CMS ICD-10 for the latest news and resources on ICD-10 to help you prepare!

USDA Community Facilities Loan and Grant Program

Community Programs, a division of the Housing and Community Facilities Programs, is part of the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Development mission area. Community Programs administers programs designed to develop essential community facilities for public use in rural areas. These facilities include schools, libraries, childcare, hospitals, medical clinics, assisted living facilities, fire and rescue stations, police stations, community centers, public buildings and transportation. Through its Community Programs, the Department of Agriculture is striving to ensure that such facilities are readily available to all rural communities. Community Programs utilizes three flexible financial tools to achieve this goal: the Community Facilities Direct and Guaranteed Loan Program, the Community Facilities Grant Program, and the Rural Community Development Initiative.

Community Programs provides grants to assist in the development of essential community facilities in rural areas and towns of up to 20,000 in population. Grants are authorized on a graduated scale. Applicants located in small communities with low populations and low incomes will receive a higher percentage of grants. Grants are available to public entities such as municipalities, counties, and special-purpose districts, as well as non-profit corporations and tribal governments. Loans and guarantees are available to public entities such as municipalities, counties, and special-purpose districts, as well as to non-profit corporations and tribal governments.

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis through USDA-RD field offices. Read more about the grant program here.

CRHC Receives Rural Health Information Technology Network Development Funding

CRHC, in partnership with Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center in Walsenburg, CO and several other Critical Access Hospitals across the state, was awarded one of 40 Rural Health Information Technology Network Development (RHITND) Awards on Sept. 1, 2011. The three-year Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) funding will be used to develop a virtual data center network and IT staff support consortium for rural providers across the state. This has been a long-standing goal for CRHC's strategic plan driven by the Board, leadership, and rural members. Through this data center consortium, large economies of scale will be realized to greatly reduce costs and support adoption and ongoing operations of health information technology across rural healthcare facilities.

Congratulations to Telluride Medical Center Foundation in Telluride, CO who was also awarded funding. To view the full HHS release and list of awardees, click here. To learn more about this funding or to see how your facility can participate, please contact Cari Fouts at cf@coruralhealth.org.

Register Now for the Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs National Provider Call: Registration and Attestation for Eligible Professionals

Hear the Experts Discuss the EHR Incentive Programs
Date: Friday, September 9
Time: 11:30-1:00 p.m. MDT

Agenda: During the call, CMS experts will discuss the following topics:
• Path to Payment
• Highlights of Registration and Attestation Processes
• Third Party Proxy
• Troubleshooting
• Helpful Resources
There will also be a Q&A session where experts will address your questions and concerns.

Registration: Register now for this informative session. Registration will close at 1:30 p.m. on September 8, or when available space has been filled. No exceptions will be made, so please register early.

Presentation Materials: The presentation will be available prior to the call on the presentations section of the CMS EHR website.

Helpful Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Tips for Eligible Professionals

The Medicaid EHR Incentive Program was designed to be administered through each individual state and Colorado will be participating with payments expected in the late Spring / early Summer 2012 for Eligible Providers (EP).

In the meantime, here are a few tips for preparing to participate:

Eligibility:

An EP with at least 30% of services furnished to Medicaid patients (20% for pediatricians for a decreased incentive) is eligible

An EP that works in an RHC may have that 30% consist of needy individuals - patients on CHP+, uncompensated care from provider or services furnished at no cost or on a sliding fee scale

For more information on Meaningful Use and the eligibility requirements for Medicaid, click here.

Registration Requirements:

Currently, EPs in Colorado who plan on participating in the Medicaid Incentive Program cannot register because the plan has not yet been approved - CRHC will keep posting updates as they are announced

PECOS enrollment is NOT necessary for EPs that are participating in the Medicaid Incentive Program, but an individual NPI and an NPPES web user account is required. If you do not have an NPPES web user account, click here to start the process

If an EP plans on attesting to the Medicare Incentive Program in 2011 and switching to the Medicaid Incentive Program in 2012 (a one-time switch is allowed), the EP should register for the Medicare Incentive Program. For more information on registering for the Medicare Incentive Program, click here.

Eligible Hospital note: a PECOS number is required for all hospitals

Standards Panel Reaches EHR Milestone

The Health IT Standards Committee has endorsed a single set of vocabulary standards for each area of quality reporting measures, an accomplishment that has been 10 years in the making. The domains include medications, labs and allergies.

The committee will recommend to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT to incorporate the vocabulary standards and implementation guides in certification criteria for electronic health records (EHRs) for stage 2 of meaningful use.

To read the entire article, click here.

Privacy and Security - What Questions You Should Ask Your Vendor

Friday! HRSA HIT& Quality Webinar ""Privacy and Security - What Questions You Should Ask Your Vendor", Fri. Aug.19, 12pm - 1:30pm MDT

When implementing a Health IT system, it is vital for healthcare providers to know which questions to ask vendors. Health IT security and privacy issues are complex and critical for providers, and one system breach or unauthorized access to patient data can adversely affect a healthcare provider’s practice, violate a patient’s trust in the provider, and leave the provider liable to investigations by State and Federal regulators.

Today’s presenters have first-hand experience working with safety net providers on health IT privacy and security issues. They will share how they integrated this important process and how other healthcare providers can protect themselves and their patients from unauthorized data breaches. Presenters are:

· Laura Rosas, Esq, Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT

· Richard Sanders, Esq, General Counsel, Georgia Primary Care Association

· Holly Schlenvogt, MSH, CPM, Health Information Technology Specialist, Wisconsin Health Information Technology Extension Center

Registration link: http://webcast.streamlogics.com/audience/index.asp?eventid=54500978

Please email questions or comments to HRSA’s Health IT mailbox at: healthit@hrsa.gov

Register for the CMS National Provider call on Understanding Meaningful Use

Registration is now open for the CMS National Provider Call titled, “Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs: Understanding Meaningful Use.” The call will be held Thursday, August 18, from 11:30-1:00 p.m. MDT.

This call will help you learn more about meaningful use so that you can get on the path to receiving an EHR incentive payment. The call will cover the following topics:

• Defining meaningful use
• The requirements for Stage 1 of meaningful use (2011 and 2012)
• Attestation for meaningful use
• Goals of the Meaningful Use Objectives Specification Sheets
o Stage 1 EHR Meaningful Use Specification Sheets for Eligible Professionals
o Stage 1 EHR Meaningful Use Specification Sheets for Eligible Hospitals
• A question & answer session

You can register online for the call. In order to receive the call-in information, you must register for the call. Registration will close at 1:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, August 17, or when available space has been filled. No exceptions will be made, so please register early.

Billing & Coding Workshop(s) & Webinar

September 13th, 14th ,15th, & Live Webinar on the 20th, 2011

On October 1, 2013 ICD-10 will bring monumental changes to physicians and the healthcare industry. This seminar will help you understand the changes that are coming and how to get prepared NOW!!!!

• HIPAA 5010 Transactions Version Update: What is it and why does it have to be implemented by January 1, 2012
• Key implementation dates
• Why ICD-10? Why now? Who is affected by the changes?
• Key ICD-10 details, characteristics and guidelines
• Steps to correct coding, code cross-walks and examples!
• Steps to get prepared NOW– don't let your cash flow tank!

Please click on the registration links below for more information and to register or you may contact Courtnay Ryan at cr@coruralhealth.org.


September 13th, 2011
Sterling Regional Medical Center, Sterling CO
To register for this workshop please click here

September 14th, 2011
Prowers Medical Center, Lamar, CO
To register for this workshop click here

September 15th, 2011
Springhill Suites - Marriott, Grand Junction, CO
To register for this workshop click here

UPDATE: The Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS) and Meaningful Use Attestation

The Colorado Immunization Registry, CIIS, is going through a redevelopment and will be launching their new registry in July 2011.

After the registry goes live, hospitals and clinics will be able to test the HL7 message feeds to them.

There may be a bit of a wait for clinics and hospitals to get connected to CIIS, but they are working with CORHIO on how we can align those locations that are truly ready for connection, i.e. they are current with all their upgrades from the EHR vendor, they have negotiated or at least understand what if any costs their vendor will charge them for a HL7 interface to the registry, they have created test files.

For more information, please visit the CIIS website.

Download the latest version of CIIS's Health Level (HL7) here

HIT Symposium in Northern CO - Aims Community College

As part of the Workforce Development program, Aims Community College is hosting an HIT training symposium for physicians and staff on August 12th.

The symposium is a one-day instructional seminar presented by physicians and practitioners for physicians, practice managers and clinicians about the impact of the HITECH act and the shift to Electronic Health Records.

For more information, click here.

National Health IT Coordinator Mostashari Discusses the Future

Upon assuming the helm of the Office of the National Coordinator for health IT in April, Farzad Mostashari, MD, discussed his vision for how IT adoption will transform health care.

In an interview with InformationWeek, Mostashari said, “We're in the deep part of implementation now, and all our programs are hitting on all cylinders. Health care providers are in full swing and I think we have to really focus like a laser beam on excellence in execution.”

To read the full article, click here.

Health IT Boosts Bottom Line For Hospitals

According to a report from Fitch Ratings, hospitals with advanced health IT systems and a high quality of care achieve greater revenue growth, attend to more patients, enjoy a superior reputation for excellence, and are better able to contain costs. The study finds, in part:

"Health care providers are beginning to be able to more accurately measure the benefits of their investment in clinical IT and quality improvement programs on clinical outcomes and operating efficiencies and costs. Properly structured incentive systems, greater accountability, and increased transparency within the health care system have the potential to harness the power of advancements in IT and quality reporting to achieve the goals of health care reform."

To read the article, click here.

THE Consortium July Webinar: Ongoing Meaningful Use Notes from the Field

Join us for the July Consortium webinar on Thursday, July 21st from 12:00-1:15 pm MT where we will share our on-going notes from the field regarding EHR selection, implementation and general meaningful use best practices.

To register for this webinar, click here.

HRSA Webinar: Tips For Generating and Utilizing Quality Data Reports Using Health IT

Friday , July 22, 2011
12pm to 1:30pm MDT

This webinar focuses on how safety net providers such as healthcenters and rural providers can generate quality reports and utilize this data for improving healthcare outcomes. This webinar’s presenters will demonstrate how they use health IT and/or electronic health records systems as a tool for generating quality reports. Furthermore, these safety net providers will demonstrate how they use their healthcenter or critical access hospital clinical data for successfully coordinating care among provider teams, informing and engaging patients on care decisions, and for improving health quality and outcomes.

The presenters include:
• Kwame Kitson, M.D. Director of Quality Institute of Family Health, New York State
• Margaret Flinter, APRN, PhD, Vice President and Clinical Director, Community Health Center, Connecticut
• Bob DeMarco, RN, MA, BSN, Chief of Quality and Systems Improvement, Springfield Medical Care Systems, Vermont

Registration Link:
http://webcast.streamlogics.com/audience/index.asp?eventid=49799745

Physicians with electronic health records are better able to sort patients by care needs

One of the perks of electronic health records is that they make patient information sortable. All the bits of the information entered into separate boxes on a patient chart can be categorized and filtered.

That gives physicians the power to easily and quickly create lists of patients who, for example, had an abnormal lab test or have complained of nausea after starting on a new prescription.

To read the entire article, click here.

Free Webinar: Release of the 2011 Report on Health Information Exchange

Wednesday, July 20th 1:00pm -2:00pm MDT

eHealth Initiative is hosting a free webinar to present the key findings of the 2011 Report on HIE: The Changing Landscape. The webinar will include discussion about the progress made in the field of health information exchange over the past year and reactions from leading experts in the field of health information exchange.

Featuring:
• Camilla Hull-Brown, Principal and Founder, Strategies for Tomorrow
• Laura Kolkman, President, Mosaica Partners
• And more…

To register, click here.

New FAQs posted to the CMS EHR Website

CMS wants to keep you updated with the latest information about the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs. New FAQs on meaningful use, payment information for eligible hospitals, eligibility, and additional information for eligible hospitals have been added to our website. Take a minute and review these new FAQs.

Payment Information for Critical Access Hospitals
• What cost report data elements are used in the EHR incentive payment calculation for Medicare Subsection (d) Hospitals? Read the answer.
• How are Medicare EHR Incentive Payments Calculated for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs)? Read the answer.
• What costs can be included in the CAH's Medicare EHR incentive payment? Read the answer.

Meaningful Use
• If my certified EHR technology is capable of submitting batch files to an immunization registry using the standards adopted by the Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology (HL7 2.3.1 or 2.5.1, and CVX), is that sufficient to meet the Meaningful Use objective "submit electronic data to immunization registries" for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs? Read the answer.
• If my certified EHR technology only includes the capability to submit information to an immunization registry using the HL7 2.3.1 standard but the immunization registry only accepts information formatted in the HL7 2.5.1 or some other standard, will I qualify for an exclusion because the immunization registry does not have the capacity to receive the information electronically? What if the immunization registry has a waiting list or is unable to test for other reasons but can accept information formatted in HL7 2.3.1, is that still a valid exclusion? Read the answer.

Eligibility
• How does CMS define pediatrician for purposes of the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program? Read the answer.

Hear the Experts Talk about the EHR Incentive Programs

Register Now : National Provider Call on Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program Basics for Eligible Professionals (EPs)

Date: Thursday, July 14
Time : 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 do you get started?
• What are major milestones regarding participation and payment?
• How do you report on meeting meaningful use?
• Where can you find helpful resources?
• A question and answer session

Registration
To register for this informative session, go to: http://www.eventsvc.com/palmettogba/071411. Registration will close at 1:30 p.m. ET on July 13, 2011, or when available space has been filled. No exceptions will be made, so please be sure to register prior to this time.

Meaningful Use Stage 2 Delay Backed by National Health IT Coordinator Mostashari

Farzad 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.

Due Diligence When Selecting an EHR or Other HIT Webinar

Thursday, 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 successful EHR acquisition, adoption, and implementation. This webinar is hosted by National Association of Community Health Centers.

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National Library of Medicine launches MedlinePlus Connect

The 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, a trusted source of authoritative, up-to-date health information for patients, families and health care providers.

To read the entire article, click here.

Joint Commission safety goals should be part of EHR certification

The 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 certification process, requiring each vendor to specifically engineer targeted solutions and each organization to carefully implement and use these systems to improve safety,” wrote Ryan P. Radecki, MD, and Dean D. Sittig, PhD, authors of a commentary that was published in JAMA on July 6.

To read the entire article, click here.

Medscape Modules Now Available on CMS EHR Incentive Programs

CMS 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 determine eligibility for the EHR Incentive Programs, understand the requirements for participating, take steps to participate, and recognize the immediate benefits of participation and future consequences of not participating.

By completing the module “From Meaningful Use to Meaningful Care,” providers can earn CME credit while gaining a better understanding about the purpose of the EHR Incentive Programs, the stages of meaningful use, a timeline of key dates, and, most importantly, how patients will benefit.

Providers can also use the Medscape Learning Center to determine their comprehension of the EHR Incentive Programs by taking the “Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentives: What Do You Know and Do You Know Enough?” participant self-assessment. By completing the assessment, providers can help to shape the content of future CME activities to best address the educational and clinical performance gaps identified.

The site also offers interviews, in which physician EHR experts explain why it's important to register for the programs and the significance of EHRs to healthcare overall. Expert interviews include:

 Registering for the EHR Incentive Program – Ready, Set, Go: An Expert Interview With Jason M Mitchell, MD, and Richard Paula, MD
 Are You an Eligible Professional Who Hasn't Registered for the EHR Incentive Program? What Are You Waiting For? – An Expert Interview With William F Bria II, MD

In the next few weeks, new CME modules on meaningful use will also be made available; look out for a message to announce these new learning resources. Membership on Medscape is free, but you must register to view content; you do not have to be a health professional.

Join the MUVment! Meaningful Use Vanguard Program

ONC has developed the Meaningful Use Vanguard EHR Champion Program and is asking for anyone interested to contact their REC partner.

MUVers (members of the MUV program) are champions of EHR adoption and meaningful use that serve as local leaders, advisors and role models in the move toward an electronically-enabled health care system.

MUVers are those that have made the transition to paperless systems, have had success using EHRs in patient care, experienced data exchange, are proficient in more advanced EHR applications and/or interested and willing to share experiences, help peers and educate patients on EHRs.

As a MUVer, you may be asked to share your experiences and best practices, provide case study material for education purposes, be a speaker or spokesperson as part of your REC’s efforts and provide feedback and counsel on topics, tools and materials such as identifying areas for education, evaluation EHR implementation and meaningful use tools, pilot test new EHR applications and advise on EHR gaps.

If you are interested and would like more information, please contact Tracy McDonald, HIT Program Coordinator.

HRSA Health IT & Quality Webinar July 22nd

HRSA is offering a Health IT and Quality Webinar entitled "Tips For Generating Quality Data Reports Using Your EHR”, Friday, July 22, 12pm MDT.

For more information and to register, click here.

CMS Has a New FAQ on Payment for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program

Question: I am an eligible professional (EP) who has successfully attested for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program, so why haven't I received my incentive payment yet?

Answer: For EPs, incentive payments for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program will be made approximately four to eight weeks after an EP successfully attests that they have demonstrated meaningful use of certified EHR technology. However, EPs will not receive incentive payments within that timeframe if they have not yet met the threshold for allowed charges for covered professional services furnished by the EP during the year.

The Medicare EHR incentive payments to EPs are based on 75% of the estimated allowed charges for covered professional services furnished by the EP during the entire payment year. Therefore, to receive the maximum incentive payment of $18,000 for the first year of participation in 2011 or 2012, the EP must accumulate $24,000 in allowed charges. If the EP has not met the $24,000 threshold in allowed charges at the time of attestation, CMS will hold the incentive payment until the EP meets the $24,000 threshold in order to maximize the amount of the EHR incentive payment the EP receives. If the EP still has not met the $24,000 threshold in allowed charges by the end of calendar year, CMS expects to issue an incentive payment for the EP in March 2012 (allowing 60 days after the end of the 2011 calendar year for all pending claims to be processed).

Payments to Medicare EPs will be made to the taxpayer identification number (TIN) selected at the time of registration, through the same channels their claims payments are made. The form of payment (electronic funds transfer or check) will be the same as claims payments.

Bonus payments for EPs who practice predominantly in a geographic Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) will be made as separate lump-sum payments no later than 120 days after the end of the calendar year for which the EP was eligible for the bonus payment.

For more FAQ's, visit CMS' Frequently Asked Questions site.

Accepting Nominations for Rural Health Excellence Award

CRHC is now accepting nominations for the 2011 Rural Health Excellence Award. This prestigious award is given annually by Colorado Rural Health Center to honor those who have made a notable contribution to health, healthcare, or a healthcare delivery system in rural Colorado. For 2011, the award will be presented during the 20th Annual Colorado Rural Health Conference August 11-12th, at the Denver Tech Center Hyatt Regency.

To be eligible for the award, a candidate must have made a significant contribution to the health, healthcare, or a healthcare delivery system in a rural Colorado community, area, or region. Healthcare providers, board members, administrators, volunteers and others are eligible for nomination. Despite their enormous contributions, CRHC Board Members are not eligible for nomination while serving on the Board.

To nominate someone, simply complete the entry form. The 2011 deadline for entries is July 15, 2011.

Questions? Contact Nadine Gressett.

Health IT Workforce Development Opportunity

The U.S. Department of Labor has identified Health IT as a high growth and emerging industry sector. A recent study from the University of California San Diego Extension listed Health IT as the number one career opportunity in 2010. As the nation moves toward a more technologically advanced health care system, providers are going to need highly skilled health IT experts to support them in the adoption and meaningful use of electronic health records.

Health IT professionals are in demand, and there is estimated to be a shortage of as many as 200,000 Health IT workers by 2015. This shortage is critical because it may impact organizations’ ability to demonstrate meaningful use of electronic health records and obtain the financial incentives promised. The Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) is trying to address this shortage by funding Health IT Workforce Development programs for both Community Colleges and Universities. These programs are graduating high-caliber health information technology professionals interested in supporting the growing and evolving health IT industry.


One of the most important workforce shortage needs to address is providing Health IT education to rural and medically underserved communities. The University of Colorado Denver has received a grant from the ONC to provide graduate-level Health IT education to 132 healthcare professionals. This grant covers the tuition and fees up to $10,000, which covers most of the costs for the student. Rural and medically underserved communities are given first priority for this funding.

Our website (www.nursing.ucdenver.edu/HITEC) provide more information about the program. Applications are being accepted until July 10, 2011, for fall admission. Please forward this information to anyone in your organization that might be interested in this opportunity. These funds will only be available until the positions are filled, which we anticipate will be within the next 6 months. If you have questions about the program, please contact Donna DuLong, Colorado HITEC Program, at (303) 724-5515 or send an email to HITEC@ucdenver.edu.

HRSA Webinar June 24th

"Tips for the Safety Net Community on
Using Health IT within a Patient Centered Medical Home"

HRSA Health IT and Quality Webinar

Friday, June 24, 2011 – 2:00-3:30 PM EST

This webinar will provide technical assistance examples of how safety net providers can successfully use health IT in transforming a health center or rural health clinic into a Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH).

Webinar presenters will discuss how “meaningful use” facilitates a PCMH’s objectives. In addition, a medical officer from HRSA’s Office of Health IT and Quality will provide an overview of national efforts in PCHH, recognition standards of the National Committee for Quality Assurance and other organizations, and how health IT assists a provider in meeting these criteria.

Presenters include:

• Lindsay Farrell, M.B.A, FACMPE, President and CEO, Opendoor Family Medical Centers, Ossining NY
• Victor Freeman, M.D., Medical Officer, HRSA Office of Health IT and Quality
• Bill Bolt, PhD. ACMPE, CIO/Practice Administrator, Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center, Walsenburg, CO

Registration Link:
http://webcast.streamlogics.com/audience/index.asp?eventid=79856508

CMS Webinar: Understanding Attestation for the Medicare EHR Incentive Programs – Eligible Professionals

Tuesday June 28, 2011
12:00 – 1:00 PM (MDT)

Target Audience: Eligible Professionals in Region VIII states: CO, MT, ND, SD, UT & WY

Registration is not required for this event. Each session will accommodate 100 participants.

Webinar: https://webinar.cms.hhs.gov/denverep/
(If you have never attended a Connect Pro meeting before, test your connection: https://webinar.cms.hhs.gov/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm)

Audio Conference Line: 877-267-1577
Conference ID: 7924

The presentation will cover:
• The Path to Payment;
• A Walkthrough of the Attestation Process;
• Troubleshooting;
• Helpful resources; and
• A Q&A Session