Regional Extension Centers
Section 3012 of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) provides funding to the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary to support regional extension centers to provide technical assistance to accelerate adoption of electronic health records. The role of Regional Extension Centers is to assist health care providers adopt, implement and effectively use certified Electronic Health Record (EHR) technology.
On August 20, 2009, the Office of the National Coordinator announced a grant opportunity in the form of cooperative agreements with not-for-profit entities. A preliminary application was due on September 8, 2009 and the final application on November 3, 2009 with a second round in December 2009.
From February 12, 2010 through April 8th, Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Service awarded a total of four Florida institutions funding to develop and implement Regional Extension Centers throughout the state toward the success of health information technology.
Regional Extension Center Awardees:
The Center for the Advancement of Health IT
(Community Health Centers Alliance, Inc.) | $10.9 million |
Health Choice Network
(South Florida Health Information Technology) | $8.5 million |
| PaperFree Florida (University of South Florida) | $6 million |
| University of Central Florida College of Medicine | $7.6 million |
ONC Regional Extension Center Grant Awards: County Map
The Mission:
The purpose of the Regional Centers is to furnish assistance, defined as education, outreach, and technical assistance, to help providers in their geographic service areas select, successfully implement and meaningfully use certified EHR technology to improve the quality and value of health care.
Regional Extension Services
- Education and Outreach: Disseminate knowledge about the effective strategies and practices to select, implement, and meaningfully use certified EHR technology to improve quality and value of healthcare
- National Learning Consortium: Participate in the National Learning Consortium facilitated by the HITRC and share tools and materials developed through the cooperative agreement with other Regional Centers, interested stakeholders, and the public.
- Local Workforce Support: Partner with local resources, such as community colleges, to promote integration of health IT into the initial and ongoing training of health professionals and supporting staff.
- Practice and Workflow Redesign: Support for practice and workflow redesign necessary to achieve meaningful use of EHRs
- Functional Interoperability and Health Information Exchange: Assist priority primary-care providers in connecting to available health information exchange infrastructure(s).
- Vendor Selection & Group Purchasing: Help providers select the highest-value option -- the option that offers the greatest opportunity to achieve and maintain meaningful use of EHRs and improved quality of care at the most favorable cost of ownership and operation, including both the initial acquisition of the technology, cost of implementation, and ongoing maintenance and predictable needed upgrades over time.
- Each Regional Center will offer unbiased advice on the systems and services best suited to enable the priority primary-care providers to become meaningful users of EHRs. Regional Centers will avoid entering into business arrangements creating an actual or apparent conflict of interest.
- Applicants are required to submit a Conflict of Interest Certification with the vendors that that they’ve identified. If vendors have not yet been identified, applicant can leave the vendor portion of the certification blank for the moment.
- Privacy and Security Best Practices: Support providers in implementing best practices in the privacy and security of personal health information.
- Implementation and Project Management: Support end-to-end project management over the entire EHR implementation process, including individualized and on-site coaching, consultation, troubleshooting.
- Progress Towards Meaningful Use: Participate in program training and be able to provide their clients effective assistance in attaining and sustaining meaningful use.
Regional Extension Center Contact Information
The Center for the Advancement of Health IT
(Community Health Centers Alliance, Inc.)
Walt Culbertson
Program Director
The Center for the Advancement of Health IT
A Regional Extension Center serving Northern and Rural Florida
Office: 904-230-1336
Cell: 904-651-1805
www.advancehealthIT.org
www.chcalliance.org
PaperFree Florida (University of South Florida)
Jay Wolfson, DrPH, JD
Distinguished Service Professor
Public Health and Medicine
Associate Vice President
Health Law, Policy and Safety
USF Health
University of South Florida
813-974-6643
http://health.usf.edu/paperfree/index.htm
South Florida Regional Extension Center
Lisa K. Rawlins
Executive Director
South Florida Regional Extension Center
9064 NW 13th Terrance,
Miami, FL 33172
Phone: 305.599.1015 ext: 8281
Mobil: 786.218.2006 |
Lrawlins@SouthFloridaREC.ORG
http://www.southfloridarec.org/
University of Central Florida College of Medicine
Karen van Caulil, Ph.D.
Director of Health Planning and
Executive Director
Central Florida Health Information Technology Initiative
UCF College of Medicine
6850 Lake Nona Boulevard
Orlando, FL 32827
Phone (407) 266-1307
Fax (407) 266-1489
kvancaul@mail.ucf.edu
Technology+Quality+Community= http://www.ucf-rec.org |
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