iHealth and Technology
SB 1338 by Sen. Elaine Alquist (D-San Jose) was amended to include a provision that would require the state to ensure that there are adequate educational and training programs at community colleges to produce a sufficient number of trained health information technology technicians. The amended bill also would require the state to ensure hospitals and health care systems have the proper resources to comply with a mandated electronic health record system established by the bill. The legislation would require the Department of Health Services and the Health and Human Services Agency to work with the Department of Managed Health Care to establish the California Health Care Infrastructure Authority, an agency that would work to improve health care quality in the state and reduce costs through the use of health IT. The legislation would mandate that CHCIA develop, deliver and annually update a plan to provide electronic health records for all state residents (Bill text, 5/17). The bill was re-referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee (StateNet, Subscription required).
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