L.A. Care Health Plan, HITEC-LA Helps Small Practices and Clinics Switch to Electronic Records

LOS ANGELES — HITEC-LA announced that more than 2,000 of its members who are eligible primary care providers have reached meaningful use with certified electronic health record (EHR) systems.  A project of L.A. Care Health Plan which is the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan, HITEC-LA’s goal is to help 3,000 eligible primary care providers in L.A. County reach meaningful use by 2014.  Providers that meaningfully use certified EHRs can expand the capabilities of their practices, leading to greater strides towards improving clinical quality, lowering costs, and enhancing patient experience.

“I’m delighted to achieve two-thirds of our goal this soon,” says Mary Franz, L.A. Care’s Executive Director of HITEC-LA and Health IT.  “The providers have shown an amazing level of commitment to reaching meaningful use, and our technical assistance team has persevered day after day to help each provider reach their goal.  The dedication and teamwork of all has been incredible.”

While HITEC-LA serves providers who accept Medicare, Medi-Cal, uninsured, and commercial patients, the organization has a special affiliation for helping providers who care for the lowest income residents of L.A. County.  Through HITEC-LA, L.A. Care is able to offer safety net providers the same health IT resources as private providers, which enhances their ability to serve some of the most vulnerable patients in the county.

“We are excited to help lay the groundwork for improving care for millions of individuals and families in the L.A. County communities that these health care providers serve,” says Dr. Trudi Carter, Chief Medical Officer for L.A. Care.  “This supports providers in their efforts to have the best outcomes for their patients.”

HITEC-LA belongs to the network of 62 Regional Extension Centers across the country formed under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, which is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.  In addition to developing the Regional Extension Centers, the HITECH Act also created the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, which provide incentive payments to eligible professionals as they adopt, implement, upgrade or demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology.  Eligible health care providers can receive up to $63,750 under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program or up to $44,000 under the Medicare EHR Incentive Program.

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