A Project of L.A. Care Health Plan, HITEC-LA Continues Help to 27 L.A. County Health Centers Reach Meaningful Use Stage 2 and Improve Care Quality
Los Angeles – HITEC-LA, a project of L.A. Care Health Plan, the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan, was awarded an eight-month extension from Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County (CCALAC) to continue as service partner for the L.A. Regional Health Center Controlled Network (HCCN) through July 2016. HITEC-LA was selected for its track record of effectively working in partnership with clinics to improve their patient care quality through technology.
HITEC-LA will receive more than $1.2 million over four years to provide on-site technical assistance and education services to help health centers reach meaningful use Stage 2 and achieve Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognition.
Since the program started three years ago, HITEC-LA has surpassed its goals and exceeded expectations. As of the end of 2015:
- 27 health centers with 728 providers serving 809,000 CCALAC patients have received onsite consulting
- 523 providers in health centers have attested to meaningful use Stage 1 and were approved for federal incentive payments
- 21 health centers serving 689,000 CCALAC patients have received recognition as medical homes
“As technology becomes increasingly important in the health care setting, we’re thrilled to facilitate its use among providers, which in turn directly benefits thousands of vulnerable patients in L.A. County,” said L.A. Care Health Plan CEO John Baackes.
In December 2012, the United States Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded CCALAC the L.A. Regional HCCN grant for $1.8 million over three years to support the adoption and implementation of certified EHR technology, meaningful use Stage 2 compliance, and technology-enabled quality improvement initiatives in health centers. In June 2015, HRSA awarded an additional $417,000 to CCALAC.
The L.A. Regional HCCN grant supports 27 collaborating health centers with 183 locations throughout the county, employing over 730 health care providers and serving more than 800,000 patients each year.
“Through the HCCN program, L.A.’s community health centers are getting the support they need to optimize their use of data and technology to improve patient care,” said Louise McCarthy, President and CEO of CCALAC and Vice Chair of the L.A. Care Board of Governors. “Thanks to HITEC-LA’s efforts, health center patients can now experience more coordinated care resulting in better health outcomes.” Additional information is available at www.hitecla.org/ccalac-hccn
About HITEC-LA
Health Information Technology Extension Center for Los Angeles (HITEC-LA) was founded in 2010 under the Health Information Technology Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act when the federal government awarded L.A. Care Health Plan, the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan, a $16.4 million grant. HITEC-LA is the exclusive federally-designated Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center for Los Angeles County. HITEC-LA acts solely in the best interest of Los Angeles County health care providers, helping them select, implement, and meaningfully use electronic health records certified by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). HITEC-LA is funded by the ONC, Department of Health and Human Services, Award Number: 90RC0052/01. Visit www.hitecla.org.
About CCALAC
The Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County (CCALAC) is the largest regional association of nonprofit community clinics and health centers in California. Founded in 1994, CCALAC has 57 members that operate more than 200 clinics throughout the County. These clinics serve more than 1.4 million patients per year, the majority of whom are uninsured or underinsured. CCALAC is dedicated to serving and representing the interests of its member clinics as providers of quality health care, including medical, dental and pharmacy services. For more information about CCALAC, visit www.ccalac.org or call (213) 201-6500.