Patrick-Murray Administration Announces $14.6 Million in Federal Funding Distributed to 15 Hospitals to Advance Electronic Health Records
BOSTON — The Patrick-Murray Administration today announced more than $14.6 million in federal Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive payments made to 15 hospitals and 12 eligible health care professionals in Massachusetts. These incentive payments will support the adoption of electronic health records, which will contribute to the Administration's health care cost containment efforts and improve patient care.
“This new technology will help providers reduce costs, improve quality of care and ultimately save lives,” said Governor Deval Patrick. “I want to thank the Obama Administration for investing in this new infrastructure to support the next phase of health care reform in the Commonwealth and the country.”
“The widespread adoption of electronic health records will provide real-time, secure access to health information for providers and patients,” said Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray. “With this grant funding, Massachusetts will continue to move forward as a leader in technologies that help patients, families and providers make informed health care decisions.”
These payments were distributed in calendar year 2011 by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, along with the Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI). Massachusetts’ Office of Medicaid (MassHealth), which provides health insurance coverage to more than 1.3 million people in the Commonwealth, launched its Medicaid EHR Incentive Payment Program in October 2011. The program is a 10-year initiative that offers financial incentives to Medicaid eligible health care professionals, including: physicians, nurse practitioners, certified nurse mid-wives and dentists, as well as short-term acute care hospitals and hospitals for children. The goal is to support the adoption and meaningful use of federally-certified electronic health record technology.
Both the Medicaid incentive program and the Medicare EHR Provider Incentive Payment Program were established through provisions of the federal Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Over the next 10 years, the Commonwealth will distribute approximately $500 million in federal funding to the majority of the state’s 72 acute care hospitals and more than 6,000 eligible health care professionals.
“This investment means more accurate medical records, fewer mistakes, lower costs and better patient care," said Senator John Kerry. "It will keep Massachusetts at the front of the pack when it comes to quality, affordable health care.”
“These federal funds will help make electronic health records a realistic option for more hospitals across our state, including in Newburyport," said Congressman John Tierney. "Such improvements will allow health care providers to have accurate and complete information about a patient's health, strengthen the care provided in our hospitals and potentially lower health care costs across the state. This funding builds upon the resources first available under ARRA and furthers needed investment in one of Massachusetts' best job creating industries.”
“The adoption of electronic medical records will help streamline our healthcare system, contain costs and improve patient care by reducing errors,” said Congressman Stephen F. Lynch. “I am pleased to see that these funds will greatly assist hospitals and health care professionals as they implement the new health information technology.”
“The new health care reform law significantly invested in electronic medical records because they have been shown to improve patient care while lowering health care costs,” said Congresswoman Niki Tsongas. “Lowell General should be commended for continuing to implement this cost saving technology and for seeking out these federal funds.”
The following 15 acute care hospitals and 12 health care professionals received EHR Medicaid Incentive funding in 2011.
Metro Boston
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston): $1,651,845
- Steward Caritas Carney Hospital (Dorchester): $1,148,973
- MetroWest Medical Center (Framingham & Natick): $1,021,666
Northeastern Massachusetts
- Anna Jacques Hospital (Newburyport): $359,368
- Lowell General Hospital (Lowell): $1,470,866
Southeastern Massachusetts
- South Shore Hospital (Weymouth): $1,028,640
- St. Anne’s Hospital (Fall River): $667,853
- Sturdy Memorial Hospital (Attleboro): $419,945
- Gary Jordan, M.D. (Brockton): $21,250
- Britt Pena, M.D. (Brockton): $21,250
Central Massachusetts
- Bay State Mary Lane Hospital (Ware): $518,094
- Harrington Hospital (Southbridge): $599,476
- Milford Regional Medical Center (Milford): $496,552
- Saint Vincent Hospital (Worcester): $726,778
- UMass Memorial Health Alliance Hospital (Fitchburg): $913,930
- Lloyd Fisher, M.D. (Worcester): $21,250
- Inna Russell, M.D. (Gardner): $21,250
Western Massachusetts
- Baystate Franklin Medical Center (Greenfield): $822,422
- Baystate Medical Center (Springfield): $2,509,611
- Susan Dejoy, Certified Nurse Midwife (Springfield): $21,250
- James Gebhardt, M.D. (Springfield): $21,250
- Chelsea Gordner, M.D. (Springfield): $21,250
- Brendan Kelly, M.D. (Springfield): $21,250
- Gina Luciano, M.D. (Springfield): $21,250
- Lauren Meade, M.D. (Springfield): $21,250
- Audrey Psaltis, Certified Nurse Midwife (Springfield): $21,250
- Belinda Pioggia, Nurse Practitioner (Springfield): $21,250
MassHealth began planning efforts for the incentive program in May 2010, when the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved the agency’s request for $3.6 million in federal reimbursement to support the development of the Medicaid incentive program planning documents. Although each state’s Medicaid agency oversees and administers its own program, CMS provides reimbursement for 100% of the actual incentives that are issued to health care providers and 90% of the state’s costs of operating the program. In August 2011, CMS approved Massachusetts’ final planning document and announced that Massachusetts would receive more than $12 million in federal reimbursement to support operations and provider outreach activities for the first two years of the Medicaid incentive program.
“Health information technologies are vital to improving quality of care for patients and controlling rising health care costs,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. JudyAnn Bigby. “These federal funds will help speed the adoption of electronic health records at acute care hospitals and in other health care settings serving Medicaid patients across the Commonwealth.”
“Massachusetts is a national leader in e-health technologies,” said Senate President Therese Murray. “This funding will be a big boost to our efforts and the implementation of electronic medical records and other technologies which represent the future of an interoperable health care system and the best way to bring down costs and deliver better quality care.”
“In order for the Commonwealth to achieve its goal of ensuring that health care services are fully integrated, coordinated, and patient focused, all providers, payers and patients across Massachusetts must have real time and secure access to health care information,” said Massachusetts Medicaid Director Dr. Julian Harris. “This can only be accomplished through widespread adoption of interoperable EHRs. The issuance of the first incentives to eligible providers is an important step and will support the Commonwealth’s broader delivery system transformation and health care cost containment goals.”
MassHealth is partnering with the Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI) to support key operational components and provider outreach activities associated with the program. MeHI, a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, is the state’s entity for health care innovation, technology and competitiveness. In addition, the Provider Compliance Unit of The University of Massachusetts Medical School’s Center for Health Care Financing is supporting the Massachusetts Medicaid Incentive Payment Program by reviewing providers to verify licensure and other criteria prior to issuing the incentive payments, as well as performing post-payment auditing activities.
“The adoption of health information technology strengthens our health care delivery system and supports economic growth across the state,” said Pamela Goldberg, CEO of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. “MTC/MeHI is advancing the adoption of electronic health records to provide safer and more effective care for Massachusetts residents.”
For more information on the Massachusetts Medicaid EHR Incentive Payment Program, please visit: www.mass.gov/masshealth/ehrincentives.
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