HHS Focuses New Program on Combating Heart Disease
Date: Sep 14, 2011 The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) has launched Million Hearts, an initiative aimed at preventing 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years. In making the announcement, HHS reported that cardiovascular disease costs Americans $444 billion every year in medical costs and lost productivity.
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It makes sense to have meaningful use align with ACOs
Date: Apr 05, 2011 The Dept. of Health and Human Services released its proposed regulations for accountable care organizations (ACOs). It's no surprise that HHS has aligned the federal programs for health IT adoption with ACOs.
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What does 'era of meaningful use' really mean?
Date: Jan 24, 2011 David Blumenthal, MD, head of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, told an eHealth Initiative audience in Washington, DC, last week that the nation is now in the era of meaningful use.
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Preparing healthcare IT professionals
Date: Sep 20, 2010 Just when you thought all the money for the healthcare industry under ARRA has been revealed, HHS made another announcement last Friday that the federal government will give the healthcare workforce $130.8 million in grants.
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American Hospital Association lobbying hard
Date: Sep 16, 2010 The American Hospital Association is putting pressure on legislators to change one area of the final ruling on the federal incentives for the meaningful use of EHRs.
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At-risk hospitals get a financial boost
Date: Sep 13, 2010 HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced last Friday that nearly $20 million will be awarded to 1,655 critical-access and rural hospitals in 41 states and the District of Columbia-based nationwide Indian Country.
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Medical certification boards help drive critical mass of health IT
Date: Aug 10, 2010 Continuing on the theme of Monday’s blog on driving critical mass, two significant medical certification boards - the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) - have announced their intention to make health IT deployment a standard in their assessment and certification of physician competency.
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Looking ahead to potential changes for stage 2 meaningful use criteria
Date: Jul 15, 2010 Incoming reaction and comments to the final meaningful use criteria have so far been fairly positive. I don't know if the organizations that are calling for changes are resigned to the fact that the rule making for stage 1 is final and want their comments to be taken into consideration when the stage 2 requirements are being discussed.
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Final meaningful use criteria: "Ambitious but achievable"
Date: Jul 14, 2010 The Dept. of Health and Human Services obviously listened to the resounding criticism that the proposed meaningful use criteria were asking for too much, too soon or all or nothing.
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The Road to EMR adoption: A Q&A with Heather Haugen and Jeffrey Woodside, Part 3
Date: Jun 25, 2010 This is the third installment of the interview conducted with Heather Haugen and Jeffrey Woodside, MD, whose book, Beyond Implementation: A Prescription for Lasting EMR Adoption, was published in May.
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