CCHIT to Launch Alternate EHR Certification Program for Hospitals

The Chicago-based Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) announced today a new electronic health record (EHR) certification program for hospitals that will be introduced at a Town Call webcast [cchit.org/towncalls] and teleconference Dec.1, 2010, and launched Dec. 15, 2010. The EHR Alternative Certification for Hospitals, or EACH program, an ONC-ATCB 2011/2012 certification for installed hospital EHR technology, is designed to meet the needs of hospitals that have uncertified legacy software, customized commercial products, or have developed their own EHR systems to suit their individual needs.

Participants in the free Town Call can expect to learn more about what the EACH program offers including:

• A series of self-paced, online learning programs designed to prepare EACH program applicants for testing and certification
• An online self-assessment tool developed to help hospitals evaluate how their installed EHR technology measures up to HHS criteria and standards
• Additional hands-on support provided by CCHIT’s EACH program staff and access to an online community of other hospitals participating in the EACH program

Alternative certification is not needed if a hospital has adopted an EHR with complete certification, or a combination of certified EHR modules that meet all of the 2011/2012 certification criteria adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to support the meaningful use objectives established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).