The Commissioner of Health in Minnesota will be making awards under the Minnesota e-Health Grant Program set up to support the adoption and use of interoperable electronic health record systems in rural and underserved urban areas. The grant program goals include the adoption and use of EHRs as well as electronic health information exchange among different health and healthcare organizations within a community.
Total available grant funding is $3.5 million with readiness assessment and planning awards to be made up to $50,000 and implementation awards up to $750,000. There is a one-to-three matching funds requirement. All applicants must provide one dollar in the form of cash or in-kind services for every three dollars provided by the grant program. In addition, Minnesota has an electronic health record loan program with $3.15 million available for no interest loans.
Eligible applicants include community e-health collaboratives, community clinics, and regional and community-based health information organizations.
The applications are due on September 5, 2008, with awards estimated to be made on October 17, 2008. The grant agreement will start December 1, 2008, and end April 30, 2010.
The 2008 MN e-Health Summit held June 2008, discussed the barriers and opportunities from a state and national perspective to promote the effective use of health IT. The attendees discussed what has been done and needs to be done to reach the goal of an interconnected EHR for every provider by 2015.
For more information on the grants and the proposal process contact Anne Schloegel, Office of Rural health & Primary Care at (651) 201-3850 or email anne.schloegel@state.mn.us. To see information on the 2008-2009 Minnesota e-Health Grant program, go to www.health.state.mn.us/e-health or go to www.health.state.mn.us/divs/orhpc/funding/grants/word/ehealth.doc.
