Rhonda M. Medows, MD, Commissioner	Sonny Perdue, Governor

Georgia Named Medicare EHR Demonstration Site

Atlanta - Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Leavitt, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), joined Governor Sonny Perdue and the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), to announce Georgia as a Medicare Electronic Health Records (EHR) Demonstration Site.

The Medicare Electronic Health Record Demonstration Project will provide Georgia physicians support for the adoption of electronic health records into their clinical practice and it aligns with Georgia's goal of using technology to increase access to care, improve the quality of care and create clinical efficiencies “Medical care is evolving and the increasing use of health information technology is vitally important to the transformation of our health care system,” said Dr. Rhonda Medows, Commissioner, DCH. “Electronic Health Records are an invaluable tool that primary care physicians can use to further enhance the timely communication of important health information and improve the coordination of the patient’s care.”

In March 2008, Dr. Rhonda Medows, Commissioner, DCH, convened a group of physicians, heath insurance companies, medical associations, and other stakeholders, through a series of meetings to create the Georgia Medicare Electronic Health Records (EHR) Community Partnership. The Partnership was created to build support for the initiative encourage small to medium-sized physician practices to adopt electronic health records.

“The opportunity to participate as a pilot for the Medicare EHR Demonstration Project aligns with Georgia's goal advancing the use of health information technologies,” said Renea Steele, Director, Office of HITT. “The excitement and commitment expressed by each of the partners to increase the adoption of the EHRs across the state of Georgia ensures the program’s success.”

Over a five-year period, the program will provide financial incentives to physician groups using certified EHRs to meet certain clinical quality measures. A bonus will be provided each year based on a physician group’s score on a standardized survey that assesses the specific EHR functions a group employs to support the delivery of care.

Georgia Medicare EHR Community Partnership Members

1. Albany Internal Medicine (AIM)
2. American College of Physicians (ACP) Georgia Chapter
3. APS Healthcare
4. Chatham County Safety Net Planning Council (Council)
5. Georgia State Medical Association
6. Institute of Health Administration of the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University
7. Morehouse School of Medicine
8. North Fulton Family Medicine
9. UnitedHealth Group
10. WellCare
11. Amerigroup
12. Archbold Medical Center
13. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia (BCBSGa)
14. Center for Health Transformation (CHT)
15. Cobb County Community Services Board (CCSB)
16. Emory Healthcare
17. Gainesville Eye Associates
18. Georgia Association for Primary Health Care (GAPHC)
19. Georgia Department of Community Health - State Health Benefit Plan
20. Georgia Department of Community Health - Medical Assistance Plans
21. Georgia Department of Community Health Office of Health Information Technology (HITT)
22. Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) Division of Public Health
23. Georgia Medical Care Foundation (GMCF)
24. Georgia State Senator Judson Hill
25. Healthcare Billing and Management Association (HBMA)
26. Health Systems Institute (HSI)
27. Kaiser Permanente
28. McDuffie Medical Associates (MMA)
29. Medical Association of Georgia (MAG)
30. Memorial University Medical Center
31. NextGen
32. North Highland Company.
33. Peach State Health Plan
34. Quest Diagnostics
35. Savannah Business Group (SBG)
36. State Office of Rural Health (SORH)
37. Georgia Statewide Area Health Education Center (AHEC)
38. Business Computer Applications

For more information about the Georgia HITT Initiative, visit www.dch.georgia.gov/gahitt.