Latest California Healthline Stories
School-Based Telehealth in Line for Double-Barreled Boost
A new report detailing the potential of school-based telehealth services arrives as those services move into position for an extra boost from broadband expansion plans in the federal stimulus package and new funding in national health reform legislation.
Health IT Stimulus Programs Taking Shape
The federal government is moving ahead with implementation of various provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In recent weeks, federal agencies have announced hundreds of millions of dollars in grant opportunities and have laid out application procedures.
Technology Incentives Not So Stimulating for Dentists
Dentists are among the “eligible professionals” in line for federal stimulus money for using electronic health records, but some dental advocates are worried oral health may get short shrift in the current push toward digital record keeping.
State Auditor Criticizes California Agencies’ Handling of Health IT
A California state auditor report criticizing two state health agencies’ management of information technology was triggered by union complaints, but the report also illustrates larger issues involving paper-based bureaucracies moving slowly and somewhat clumsily into the digital era.
Health Care Provisions in Federal Stimulus Come Into Focus
Six months after the arrival of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, several health care efforts detailed in the federal stimulus package are taking shape as various federal agencies take incremental steps toward new public goals.
Collaborative Joins Race To Oversee California’s Health IT Evolution
Two entries have emerged in a race that has yet to be officially declared or described but is widely anticipated. The winner could become California’s lead organization administering billions of dollars in stimulus funds for health IT.
Health Care Stimulus Funding Process Picking Up Speed
California already has received $3.3 billion and expects to receive a total of $11 billion by the end of 2010 under a federal stimulus package provision that increases federal matching payments to state Medicaid programs. Meanwhile, the stimulus package’s health IT provisions are beginning to take shape.
U.S. Seeks Input for Establishing Regional IT Extension Centers
Last week, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology formally invited comments on how to form a network of regional extension centers to help medical providers choose and use electronic health records. Comments are due by 5 p.m. June 11.
CalRHIO Says It’s Ready To Go Statewide; Others Have Their Doubts
Flanked by a newly rolled-out partnership with 23 hospitals on one side and a promise of federal stimulus money on the other, the California Regional Health Information Organization declares itself ready to grow. Some IT insiders, however, are not convinced CalRHIO would make a good statewide umbrella.
Farm Worker Health Record Effort Grows in San Joaquin Valley
Billed as the first of its kind in the country, a pilot project is creating personal health records for farm workers in the San Joaquin Valley. The project is part of $6 million in new state grants for projects aimed at improving health care delivery systems for underserved populations.