HIT and EHR

The Office of Primary Care and Rural Health collects and disseminates information about Health Information Technology (HIT) and Electronic Health Records (EHR).

We assist healthcare facilities in serving the underserved by achieving meaningful use and obtaining incentives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) with links to news, tools, and resources from CMS, the Office of Rural Health Policy, the Office of the National Coordinator, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Rural Health Resource Center.

EHR and Meaningful Use Training

Region D of the Community College Consortium to Educate Health Information Technology Professionals is offering EHR and Meaningful Use training for rural health clinics, federally qualified health centers, critical access hospitals and rural hospitals with 50 or fewer beds. Interested parties can view curriculum details and contact Kay Gooding, MPH, MAEd, RHIA via email for more information.

Transition to ICD-10

CMS provides two free ICD-10 video lectures and an expert article to assist physicians and health care providers in transitioning to ICD-10. Continuing medical education (CME) credits are available for physicians who complete the module, and anyone who completes the module will receive a certificate of completion. See the CMS newsletter for more information.

Additionally, an ICD-10 resource toolkit is available.

HIT Resource Library

• Alabama Regional Extension Center
• CMS EHR Incentive Program
• HRSA Health Information and Quality
• National Rural Health Resource Center Workflow Guide
• HITECH Programs and Advisory Committees
• Health Information Technology in Rural Healthcare (Rural Assistance Center)
• Rural Health Resource Center SHIP
• Top 10 HIT Resources
• Workforce Development Programs

HIT Toolkits

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality HIT Tools and Resources
• Stratis Health Toolkit for Small Hospitals
• Stratis Health Toolkit Section 1.3 Adopt - Key Differentiators

Meaningful Use Resources

• Attestation for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program
• HIMSS Analytics: What's Your Number?
• Meaningful Use of Electronic Health Records and ADPH
• Meaningful Use Regulation for Electronic Health Records
• Medicare Electronic Prescribing Incentive Program FAQ
• Stage 1 Meaningful Use Objectives and Associated Measures
• FAQs - EHR Incentive Programs: Meaningful Use and Clinical Quality

Best Practices in HIT and EHR

Dr. Regina Benjamin's Finding My Way to Electronic Health Records is a don't-miss article published in The New England Journal of Medicine recalling her experiences as a physician along the Gulf Coast during the dark hours of hurricanes, the latest oil spill, how she adapted, and the innovative ways she found to deliver quality healthcare to an already underserved population in crisis.

If you would like additional information on HIT and EHR programs, please contact Rob Boyles via email or at (334) 206-5425.