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

DCH Recognizes National Health Information Technology Week

ATLANTA– Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) is pleased to acknowledge November 1-7 as Health Information Technology (HIT) Week, a national initiative to raise the public’s awareness of the value and importance of using innovative technology to improve the quality and efficiency of health care.  DCH is involved in numerous activities aimed at educating health care consumers and providers about HIT.

“The Georgia Department of Community Health has been designated by Governor Perdue as the State Designated Entity for the coordination of HIT opportunities made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009,” said Dr. Rhonda Medows, DCH Commissioner and State Health Officer.  “The timely and secure exchange of health information is vitally important for effective patient care, efficient health care delivery, responsible health planning, public health assessments and response to emergencies.”

DCH has been committed to the widespread use of HIT since 2006, when Governor Sonny Perdue issued an Executive Order creating the Health Information Technology and Transparency (HITT) Advisory Board.

The HITT Advisory Board and DCH’s Office of HITT have been working together to coordinate the state’s HITT activities, including promoting the adoption of electronic medical records among primary care providers, educating consumers about the privacy and security of electronic medical records, and convening key health care stakeholders to develop a strategic roadmap for HIT.

In November, Dr. Medows and Dr. Carladenise Edwards, DCH’s Chief of Staff and State HIT Coordinator, will facilitate a stakeholders meeting to introduce the most recent ARRA related HIT opportunities to the community and to solicit support for the development of a strategic plan for health information exchange in Georgia. 

“Both Drs. Medows and Edwards are strong champions for improving health care quality and efficiency through HIT, so we are thrilled that they will both be speaking at the upcoming event,” said Ms. Renea Steele, the Director of the DCH Office of HITT. 

The following state accomplishments will be highlighted at the November HITT Advisory Board meeting:

• The launching of the Georgia Healthe Connect Project, an electronic health record that will allow Medicaid providers to share pertinent health information as needed 
• DCH’s submission of the Georgia Medicaid HIT Advance Planning Document to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.  The ARRA provides options for Medicaid or Medicare incentive payments for providers using certified electronic health records in clinical practice
• The submission of an ARRA grant by DCH to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator to develop a State Health Information Exchange as part of a cooperative agreement between the federal government and the state 
• The invitation from HHS Office of the National Coordinator to DCH in partnership with the National Center for Primary Care at Morehouse School of Medicine to submit an application for the development of a HIT Regional Extension Center in Georgia that will help train providers on how to implement and sustain electronic health record systems in their practice

The ARRA and HITECH legislation provides opportunities for both private and public sector entities.  Federal grant guidance and application information is available through http://grants.gov/.

To learn more about DCH’s HITT efforts and initiatives, visit www.dch.georgia.gov.

About Health Information & Technology Week

HI&T Week is sponsored by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).  It is a showcase for the thousands of health information management (HIM) professionals who perform their duties masterfully throughout the year.  The theme for this year is, “Precision in Practice, Excellence in Care.”