The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) announced $1 million in grant awards with the aim of boosting health data exchange efforts.
The ONC grants were awarded to 10 community programs that will support care providers who aren’t able to receive incentive payments under the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs.
The 10 programs are:
AltaMed Health Services Corporation
Community Health Center Network, Inc.
Georgia Health Information Network
National Healthy Start Association
Nevada Department of Health and Human Services (DHSS)
Peninsula Community Health Services
Rhode Island Quality Institute
The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
Utah Department of Health
Washtenaw County-Community Support and Treatment Services
In a statement about the grant awards, Thomas Mason, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for ONC, said the 10 programs will collaborate with others in their communities to securely share and use electronic health data with providers and individuals across the health ecosystem.
"These important investments should help with the flow of health information to individuals no matter the care setting in which they receive care. These awards will also foster an interoperable learning health system—truly linking the traditional health care system with community and social support— resulting in healthier people and communities,” Mason said.
According to the ONC, these latest grant awards will complement the more than $38 million in awards announced back in June to improve care coordination and health information exchange and interoperability.
"It will be through these innovative community projects that awardees will collaborate with providers who are not receiving Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program funds. These efforts will support the goals of a nationwide learning health system where data is harmonized across organizations and available to the right people at the right time and in the right place to create healthy individuals and communities,” Mason said.
