The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) recently posted a new grant opportunity. The “Community Interoperability and Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program” encourages communities to work together to support and extend the use of secure, interoperable health information tools and exchange services. This grant is primarily designed to fund organizations such as long-term, post-acute care, and behavioral health providers, which are not eligible under the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs.
ONC is offering a total of one million dollars in grants to up to 10 community organizations; city, state or county government agencies; or non-profit groups that meet certain requirements. The award floor is $50,000 and the award ceiling is $100,000. The anticipated start date for the project is August 14, 2015. More information can be found on the grants.gov website.
National Coordinator for Health IT Karen DeSalvo, M.D., told reporters at the HIMSS15 conference in Chicago “[t]he funding is meant to drive innovation around building data that is person-centered and community-centered in bringing in players that are not traditional players” and to “advance ideas that are really thinking beyond just the EHR and the traditional players.”
InnovaHealth Innovations helps practices meet the future of healthcare. Roberta Kaplan MPH, MA, PA consults with practices ready to implement new strategies and respond to changes in their healthcare environment. To learn more, call us at: 503-341-0593.