by CIO Staff

N.Y. Gets $52.9M, Wash. Takes in $1M for Health IT

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May 30, 20062 mins
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The states of New York and Washington were awarded grants worth $52.9 million and $1 million, respectively, to help increase the usage of electronic health records, Government Health IT reports.

New York handed down grants worth a total of $52.9 million to 26 regional health networks that span the state under its Health Technology Initiative, and Washington will give hospitals and clinics awards of as much as $20,000 each, totaling $1 million, according to Government Health IT.

Kenneth Raske, the Greater New York Hospital Association’s president, told Government Health IT the funding will be used to build and roll out a number of IT systems. One of the state’s main goals is to increase the level of access patients have to their health records to assist them in making informed medical decisions, Government Health IT reports.

The majority of Washington state grants, which are to be managed by the Washington Health Information Collaborative, will be distributed to small-scale doctors’ offices and facilities in the state’s rural communities, according to Government Health IT.

Among the locales to receive New York funding are North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health Care, the Bronx regional health data group and the Rochester Health Commission, Government Health IT reports.

The New York awards are a product of its Healthcare Efficiency and Affordability Law for New Yorkers, meant to enhance the state’s health IT infrastructure and initiatives, and the Washington funding is to come from a public-private pact between First Choice Health, the Washington Health Care Authority, Qualis Health and Puget Sound Health Alliance, Government Health IT reports. First Choice Health and the state Health Care Authority will each give $500,000; Qualis Health will serve as a project consultant; and the Puget Sound Health Alliance will offer up additional administrative services, according to Government Health IT.

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