The Missouri Health Connection (MHC) has announced a partnership with five healthcare organizations to participate in the State’s electronic medical information network. The organizations BJC HealthCare, Mercy, and SSM Health Care provide almost 40 percent of inpatient care in Missouri along with Burrell Behavioral Health, and Nevada Medical Clinic, a rural multi-specialty clinic support thousands of physicians and caregivers in providing healthcare to Missourians.
The Missouri health information network powered by InterSystems HealthShare™ involved globally, across communities, and regions, provides health information software for connected care.
The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) have teamed up to address the health of the Delta region through a new initiative “Health IT Workforce Revolving Loan Fund Program”. DRA covers specific counties within Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.
The goal is to assist healthcare providers enhance healthcare delivery in these underserved communities by helping providers who are eligible for meaningful use incentives purchase an EHR system.
To help small Healthcare Providers Offices (HPO), DRA will provide interest free loans throughout the Delta region that can be used to install and adopt an EHR system. AHIMA will assist in the recruitment and approval of the HPOs.
Each participating HPO must meet the following eligibility requirements such as:
· Have an internet connection and use an electronic billing system
· Be a small practice group of one to five healthcare providers, community health center, or a federally qualified health center
· Can show that there is a reasonable prospect that the applicant meets the definition of small and emerging private business enterprises defined as any private business that employs fifty or fewer employees and has less than $1 million in projected gross revenues
Providers practicing in Medically Underserved Areas (MUA) or Health Provider Shortage Areas (HPSA designated by HRSA within the DRA region are encouraged to apply.
For more information, email Bonnie Aguda at bonnie.aguda@ahimafoundation.org.
