| Wednesday, February 08, 2012
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Thursday, January 05, 2012
Nearly 1,300 primary care providers across West Virginia have joined the West Virginia Regional Health Information Technology Extension Center (WVRHITEC), and this number is about 30 percent better than the center had anticipated. The West Virginia center was charged initially with recruiting 1,000 primary care providers, but thanks to efforts of many organizations the center was able to surpass its original recruitment goal, said Dwayne Edwards, the center’s Director.
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Sunday, November 13, 2011
The Herald-Dispatch
Central to the plan of using technology to improve the delivery of health care is improvement in your health across health care settings by having access to all of our health information. Having a comprehensive record that includes all of a patient's medical information that is up-to-date, complete, accurate and in the hands of your doctor or your family when it's needed will reduce unecessary test ordering, reduce costs, improve safety and will improve the flow of information from one doctor to another.
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Thursday, November 10, 2011
The State Journal –
Does your doctor have an electronic health record? I hope so. Hospitals, rural clinics and doctor practices are implementing electronic health records, or EHRs, with the goal of improving the care that they deliver to you. Greater use of this new technology will provide myriad benefits.
Read More... |
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Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Charleston Daily Mail
http://www.dailymail.com/Opinion/Commentary/201109121866
The digitization of paper-based health information records will dramatically change and improve our nation's health care system. Electronic health records will help to improve health care delivery and enhance a patient's health care experience. Hospitals, rural clinics and doctors' practices are implementing electronic health records at an accelerated pace.
The electronic health record is not just a computerized version of a paper medical chart. Computerized patient health records:
- contain information about a patient's medical history, diagnoses, medications, immunization dates, allergies, radiology images, and lab and test results;
- provide access to evidence-based tools that can be used to aid providers in decision-making;
- can help in automating and streamlining providers' workflow.
Evidence is coming in about the real-world benefits. The New England Journal of Medicine released a study showing that practices that use electronic health records had significantly higher achievement and improvement in meeting standards of care and outcomes in diabetes than practices using paper records.
Electronic health records will help to produce better quality care and more convenient health care by providing:
- More accurate and complete information about a patient's health. This will enable providers to give the best possible care.
- The ability to better coordinate the care they give. This is especially important if you or a loved one has a serious medical condition or if you are helping to care for a family member.
- A way to securely share information with the patient electronically. This means you can take part more fully in health decisions.
- Information at their fingertips. This helps providers diagnose health problems sooner, reduce medical errors, and provide safer, more affordable care.
Patients whose providers have electronic health records also will find they will have:
- less paperwork at office visits;
- reliable sources of information and reminders that will notify providers of important health interventions;
- convenient and safe e-prescriptions electronically sent to the pharmacy;
- online interaction with providers; and
- electronic referrals to specialists.
Finally, more widespread use of electronic health records also can build a healthier future for our nation. Public health professionals soon will be able to look at information and observe patterns. Professionals will be able to look at the overall data, but patients' identities will be securely protected.
With this research, they might be able to find new cures for diseases, reduce gaps in health, highlight ways to improve health care, and identify and respond quickly to public health emergencies such as disease outbreaks. We will be able to learn more about our health and health care system, and apply those lessons to improve overall care.
Putting health information technologies and electronic health records into place is not an easy or inexpensive undertaking, but the benefits will be far-reaching and significant for all of us.
Edwards is director of the West Virginia Regional HIT Extension Center, on the web at www.wrhitec.org. It is one of almost 70 centers that have been created to assist the industry with this digital transformation. |
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Sunday, September 11, 2011
The week of Sept. 12 is National Health Information Technology Week, providing an opportunity to focus on an ongoing transformation that will dramatically change and improve our nation's health care system. That transformation is the digitization of our nation's paper-based health information records.
Over the past two decades, computers and the Internet have changed our lives. They have shaped the way we get information, communicate with each other, do our jobs and see our world. That same technology is changing the way we will manage our health.
Central to this is the adoption of electronic health records, which are more than just computerized versions of paper medical charts. EHR systems offer enhancements by:
• containing readily accessible information about a patient's medical history, diagnoses, medications, immunization dates, allergies, radiology images, and lab and test results;
• providing access to evidence-based tools that can be used to aid providers in decision-making;
• aiding in better coordination of patient care; and
• making it more convenient for families to transfer and manage health care records of their loved ones.
Hospitals, rural clinics and doctor practices are implementing electronic health records at an accelerated pace. The use of this technology will help to improve health care delivery and enhance a patient's health care experience.
Already, evidence is coming in about the benefits of electronic health records. Recently the New England Journal of Medicine released a research study showing that physician practices that use electronic health records had significantly higher achievement and improvement in meeting standards of care and outcomes in diabetes than practices using paper records.
Transforming our nation's health care system through health information technologies and electronic health records is not an easy nor inexpensive undertaking, but the benefits will be far-reaching and significant for all of us.
Dwayne Edwards
Director, West Virginia
Regional HIT Extension Center
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Monday, August 22, 2011
West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Cabinet Secretary Michael J. Lewis, a family physician, and WVRHITEC Project Director Roger Chaufournier were at Madison Medical Group today to announce the health care practice’s successful attainment of national guidelines for the use of electronic health record systems. The national “meaningful use” guidelines have been developed to serve as a standard for effectively using electronic health records and to help facilitate more Medicare and Medicaid providers to join in the “digital” transformation of the health care system. The physicians of Madison Medical -- Robert B. Atkins, M.D., Ron D. Stollings, M.D., and J. Mark Snyder, D.O. -- successfully attested under the Medicare tract of the federal government’s electronic health record incentive program. The three are among the first primary care providers in the state who have attested for Stage 1 meaningful use.
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Thursday, August 11, 2011
WHEELING, W.VA. – The West Virginia Regional HIT Extension Center (WVRHITEC), in conjunction with the Upper Ohio Valley IPA, will host a day-long event in Wheeling on August 11 to showcase electronic health record solutions to doctors and health practices in the Northern Panhandle. Attendees also will be available to attend three educational sessions on topics related to electronic health records and health improvement. The event will be held at the National Technology Transfer Center building on the campus of Wheeling Jesuit University.
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Thursday, August 11, 2011
Medicaid EHR Registration/Attestation Started August 11; Medicare Underway
Providers all across West Virginia are working toward efforts to qualify to receive federal Medicare-Medicaid incentive payments for the use of certified electronic health record systems. Nearly 700 providers have joined the WVRHITEC to receive assistance/services and to gain from the experience and knowledge of the staff. Provided is an update on the registration and attestation process for the Medicare EHR incentive payment, and an update on the Medicaid EHR incentive payment. Click to read more.
Click to see the WVRHITEC Medicare EHR Incentive Registration/Attestation Checklist.
Click to see the W.Va. BMS Medicaid EHR Incentive Registration/Attestation Checklist (Eligible Professionals).
Click to read a list of Frequently Asked Questions about the state's Medicaid EHR incentive program. |
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Thursday, June 23, 2011
A pilot study finds better disease management when EHRs are used in the context of a patient-centered medical home.
By Neil Versel
InformationWeek, June 23, 2011
An electronic health record (EHR) system can help improve the care of patients with multiple chronic diseases by enabling better coordination of care between healthcare providers, insurers, and patients themselves, a new study shows. The study, sponsored by a multi-stakeholder group that included eHealth Initiative, the pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis and Health & Technology Vector, a small, Hartford, Conn.-based health IT and care redesign firm, found many process improvements in the care of patients with both Type 2 diabetes and a cardiac-related condition when an EHR was used in the context of a patient-centered medical home. Click to read the entire article. |
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Thursday, June 09, 2011
Washington, D.C. — The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) announced today the Investing in Innovations (i2) Initiative – a bold new program designed to spur innovations in health IT. The program centers on prizes and competitions to accelerate the development of solutions and communities around key challenges in health IT.
This landmark initiative is the first Administration-wide program using prizes and challenges to advance an agency's mission made possible by the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, signed into law by President Obama on Jan. 4, 2011. The Act invests in innovation through research and development and seeks to improve the competitiveness of the United States.
As part of the initiative's rollout, ONC has awarded nearly $5 million to the Capital Consulting Corporation (CCC) and Health 2.0 LLC, to fund projects supporting innovations in research and encouraging health IT development through open-innovation mechanisms like prizes and challenges.
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Thursday, June 09, 2011
The U.S. government has paid more than $158.3 million to hospitals and doctors this year to encourage adoption of electronic health records, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said May 26.
Read more... |
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Friday, May 27, 2011
by Elizabeth Armstrong Moore
Nearly 4,000 prescriptions for more than 2,000 patients were tracked before the switch, 12 weeks after the switch, and a year after the switch. Researchers found that prescription errors dropped by two-thirds, from 36 percent to 12 percent a year after their physicians had switched to electronic record-keeping systems.
Furthermore, the rate of improper abbreviations (i.e. using the outdated "QD" instead of "once daily") dropped by three-quarters, from 24 percent to 6 percent a year later.
And while the rate of errors that did not involve abbreviations actually doubled from 9 percent to 18 percent over the first 12 weeks, it dropped back down to 9 percent when measured a year later.
Still, in spite of the evidence that the newer system results in fewer mistakes and thus improved efficiency--and likely safety-- the 19 physicians had a few reservations. In the survey, two-thirds of the physicians reported that the new system slowed down drug orders and refills; 40 percent weren't satisfied with the implementation of the new system; and only one-third thought the system was safer. |
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Friday, May 20, 2011
Charleston Daily Mail
In the coming months, some of the first West Virginia health care providers will start to receive federal financial payments to help cover the costs of implementing electronic health record systems. Read more... |
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Monday, April 11, 2011
The West Virginia Regional HIT Extension Center (WVRHITEC) has developed a comprehensive toolkit to assist health care providers in understanding and adhering to federal guidelines and laws pertaining to privacy and security of electronic health records and data.
The WVRHITEC’s new Privacy & Security Toolkit is available exclusively to members and is provided as an on-line resource. The toolkit is intended to provide guidance and information to health care providers to assist them in understanding the requirements and expectations pertaining to protected health information under HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and related regulations. Click to learn more. |
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Tuesday, March 01, 2011
CHARLESTON, W.VA. – A number of health care efforts in West Virginia have joined forces to create a social networking campaign to assist college students and technology workers seeking health information technology employment opportunities. The groups have formed a “West Virginia HIT Workforce Group” on LinkedIn.com.
The collaboration involves the West Virginia Regional HIT Extension Center (WVRHITEC), the West Virginia Northern Community College (WVNCC) and the Governor’s Office of Health Enhancement and Lifestyle Planning (GOHELP) and the Bureau for Medical Services/W.Va. DHHR. Read the full press release here for more details, information. |
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Tuesday, February 01, 2011
The West Virginia Regional HIT Extension Center (WVRHITEC) and City National Bank/CityInsurance Professionals have formed a unique partnership to help advance electronic health record use among doctors and health practices in West Virginia. The partnership will provide doctors, who have electronic health record systems and who are members of the WVRHITEC, with two new benefits:
- CityInsurance’s medical malpractice insurance plan (Medicus) will include up to a 10 percent premium discount for those health providers who use a certified electronic health record system; and
- City National Bank has established a special, low-cost financing program for WVRHITEC members who purchase or upgrade electronic health record systems.
Agents and employees of City National Bank and CityInsurance also will share information about the subsidized services that are available to members of the West Virginia Regional HIT Extension Center. Read more...
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Monday, January 31, 2011
What Do You Know and Do You Know Enough? - Earn CME credit while you learn! Take the Medscape EHR Self Assessment. Participation may require the user to log in to Medscape; however registration is free and does not require any commitment. |
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Friday, January 28, 2011
CHARLESTON, W.VA. – The West Virginia Regional HIT Extension Center (WVRHITEC) will host a day-long vendor fair to showcase electronic health record solutions to doctors and health practices in the Mountain State. The fair, which will be held on the campus of the W.Va. School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg W.Va., will be held on Saturday, February 26. There is no charge for WVRHITEC members to attend the fair ($500 per person for non-members), which will begin at 8 a.m. and run until 4 p.m. and be at the WVSOM Clinical Evaluation Center.
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Monday, January 24, 2011
The EHR Vendor Recognition Program (VRP) has been developed by the WVRHITEC to help connect health care providers interested in acquiring an electronic health record system with vendors who have met certain thresholds of clinical functionality and service. The Five Star vendors being recognized by the WVHRITEC include in alphabetic order Allscripts, athenahealth, eClinicalWorks, e-MDs, GE Healthcare, Greenway Medical Technologies, NextGen Healthcare, Inc. and Sage.
The WVRHITEC is a vendor-neutral resource, and providers are free to select any EHR vendor solution that meets their needs. Moreover, this vendor recognition program is not an endorsement for any particular vendor nor is the WVRHITEC offering any warranties or guarantees on vendor solutions. To hear more about the program, register here for a webinar on Friday January 28, 2011.
Visit the 5-Star Vendor Recognition page to learn more. Read the full press release here. |
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Monday, January 03, 2011
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) have announced the availability of a registration process as part of new federal Medicare and Medicaid electronic health record (EHR) incentive programs.
For more information about the registration process, visit our registration page under our Meaningful Use - Incentives menu item. |
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Wednesday, December 15, 2010
The West Virginia Regional HIT Extension Center (WVRHITEC) is one of the top ten programs of its kind in the nation.
During a meeting in Washington D.C. this week, the Office of National Coordinator for Health Information Technology reported that West Virginia’s physician recruitment success rate is the sixth best in the nation.
The WVRHITEC is a new resource operating under the West Virginia Health Improvement Institute and was created under a national program by the Office of National Coordinator for Health Information Technology/U.S. DHHS.
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Monday, December 13, 2010
Over the next few years West Virginia's health care industry will have a unique opportunity to transform itself through greater adoption of electronic health information technology.
The driver of this transformation will be millions of dollars of federal funds that will provide incentive payments for those eligible hospitals and primary care providers who adopt certified electronic health record (EHR) systems.
read more... |
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Monday, November 15, 2010
The West Virginia Regional HIT Extension Center (WVRHITEC) has established a new physician-to-physician outreach and education program designed to assist and help foster more widespread adoption and use of electronic health record systems in West Virginia.
read more... |
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Monday, October 25, 2010
WeThe Upper Ohio Valley IPA ( www.theipa.net) has joined the West Virginia Regional HIT Extension Center (WVRHITEC) as a new strategic services partner. |
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Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Dwayne Edwards has been named the REC Director for the West Virginia Regional HIT Extension Center (WVRHITEC).
Edwards brings to the center extensive experience in electronic health record implementation, as well as corporate compliance, HIPAA compliance, resource management, strategic planning, marketing, patient satisfaction and provider evaluation.
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Monday, August 16, 2010
The American Medical Association has partnered with the Medical Group Management Assn. to develop an online tool kit to help physician practices chose the right practice management system.
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Monday, August 16, 2010
On August 10, 11 and 12, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) held a series of national calls addressing the specifics of the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs for individual practitioners and hospitals.
Click here to see info for elegible professionals/practitioners.
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Tuesday, August 03, 2010
W.Va.'s Medicaid program received nearly $1 million to assist with EHR adoption
West Virginia to Receive Federal Matching Funds for Electronic Health Record Incentives Program. Read more on the CMS website. |
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Tuesday, July 13, 2010
The Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) announced the final rule on meaningful use (MU) and standards and certification under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act’s electronic health record (EHR) incentive program.
In addition to defining the criteria that health care providers need to meet in order to achieve MU, this final rule outlines payment methodologies for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs.
Working with WVRHITEC is a key way for providers to ensure that they achieve MU according to the final rule, and therefore qualify for funds from the Stimulus Act.
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Thursday, June 24, 2010
Provided is a link to a Q&A with Dr. David Blumenthal, who is the national coordinator for HIT.
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Tuesday, June 08, 2010
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Governor Manchin made the official announcement of the establishment of the West Virginia Regional Health Information Technology Extension Center.
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read more ... | |
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