Health Information Technology

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) included incentives for health care providers to adopt Health Information Technology, most notably Electronic Health Records (EHRs). There are incentive funds for both Medicare and Medicaid providers.  Health Information Technology (HIT) makes it possible for health care providers to better manage patient care through secure use and sharing of health information. HIT includes the use of electronic health records (EHRs) instead of paper medical records to maintain people’s health information. Health care providers will have accurate and complete information about a patient’s health and a way to securely share information with patients and their family caregivers.  Community Health Centers have been leaders in the use of health information technology (HIT) for improved documentation, communications and clinical decision.

With the increased emphasis on Meaningful Use and Quality Improvement metrics, CHCs have expanded their use of Electronic Medical Records, Patient Portals and Data Reporting Tools.  CHCAMS has committed to programs and staff to assist CHCs with the implementation and use of HIT and information exchange.