Healthcare IT News - September 2008 - (Page 4) Healthcare IT News ■ September 2008 industry news www.HealthcareITNews.com Washington communities test health record bank By Molly MerrIll, Associate Editor OLYmPIA, WA – Three Washington communities will receive $1.7 million in grants for pilot projects to test consumer managed health records. The Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) awarded the grants to Spokane-based Inland Northwest Health Services, Cashmere-based Community Choice Healthcare Network, Bellingham-based St. Joseph Hospital Foundation and The Critical Junctures Institute. The projects are expected to be operational in February 2009. Each pilot is a public-private partnership designed to help assess the feasibility and usefulness of online health record bank accounts as a way for consumers to maintain, track and use their personal health information. The grants will be used to explore patients accessing online health information using community-based solutions in conjunction with Microsoft HealthVault and Google Health. “The state Legislature Steve hill charged HCA in 2005 and 2007 with the responsibility to improve information sharing for Washington’s healthcare communities,” said Steve Hill, adminis- trator of the Health Care Authority. “Today, no one has access to their complete health information – parts of which are stored at multiple locations where care is provided. It is difficult for patients or medical personnel to easily see the entirety of a patient’s medical information; clearly this is needed to provide the best care.” the awards ➔ Inland Northwest Health Services in Spokane, $583,377 in conjunction with Google Health ➔ Community Choice Healthcare Network in Cashmere, $551,448 in conjunction with Microsoft HealthVault ➔ St. Joseph Hospital Foundation and The Critical Junctures Institute in Bellingham, $598,352, in conjunction with Microsoft HealthVault Cart Mobility Meets Omnicell Reliability “We need these pilots to learn more about the benefits and any possible pitfalls from this consumer-enabling approach,” said Marc Pierson, MD, regional vice president of clinical information at St. Joseph Hospital in Bellingham. Tom Fritz, chief executive officer of Inland Northwest Health Services, added, “Making health information available online to patients, families, caregivers and health consumers is a critical step toward a more streamlined healthcare system.” The grant program is administered by the HCA in collaboration with the Health Information Infrastructure Advisory Board. ■ More at HealthcareITnews.com e Connect: BaNk 0908 ● Manos Continued from page 3 COMPACT MOBILE CART ©2008 Omnicell, Corp. All rights reserved. Omnicell Compact Mobile Carts are the Perfect Balance Between Point-of-Care and Point-and-Click. IT specialists appreciate the reliability, simple set-up, optimized power system, and 24x7 customer support. Nurses admire the compact maneuverability, stability, ease-of-use, easy-to-disinfect cart with electronic height adjustment. Call for Demo: e ● Connect: oMNICell 0908 to practice across state lines,” he states in his plan. McCain also argues that healthcare IT can help promote higher quality care, contain costs and encourage better research for treating chronic diseases. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is also behind healthcare IT advancement. According to his platform, he proposes to invest $10 billion a year over the next five years to build broad adoption of standards-based electronic health information systems, including electronic health records. His plan will phase in requirements for full implementation of healthcare IT. He also promotes advancement of healthcare IT for improved quality of care and to lower costs through transparency. Though the Bush Administration has been hard at work to establish electronic health records for every American by 2014, it seems clear that come next January, there will be a fresh wind blowing in favor of healthcare IT. A change of administration could well breathe new life into the effort to assuage bipartisan battles that have brought healthcare IT legislation to a virtual standstill. Perhaps the persuasive power of a new leader will make a difference in bridging the differences. Both candidates seem adept enough at persuasion. We will have to wait and see. ■ More at HealthcareITnews.com e Connect: MaNoS 0908 ● http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://HealthcareITNews.com http://www.omnicell.com/cart-hitn http://HealthcareITNews.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=9875 http://www.omnicell.com/cart-hitn http://www.healthcareitnews.com/eConnect.cms?id=9929
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