Organization

Department Of Health And Human Services


Cincinnati, Detriot named final Beacon pilot communities

Top Stories | Thursday, September 02 2010
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced Sept. 2 that Cincinnati and Detroit are the two final pilot communities selected under the new Beacon Community Program that is using health IT to help tackle leading health problems in communities across the U.S.
 

HHS awards $17M for patient-centered outcomes research

Industry News | Wednesday, September 01 2010
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced three sets of grants and cooperative agreements, totaling nearly $17 million for patient-centered outcomes research.
 

CCHIT, Drummond Group first to be approved as ONC-ATCBs

Top Stories | Monday, August 30 2010
The Certification Commission for Health IT (CCHIT) has been recognized by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT as an Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ONC-ATCB) under the initial certification program created to certify that EHRs are capable of meeting the criteria to support meaningful use and qualify eligible providers and hospitals for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
 

Indianapolis VA to partner with IHIE for pilot program

Partnerships & Alliances | Wednesday, August 25 2010
The Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis will partner with the Indiana Health Information Exchange (IHIE) to exchange EHR information using the Nationwide Health Information Network.
 

HHS tags $32M for rural healthcare programs

Industry News | Tuesday, August 24 2010
Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has granted more than $32 million in fiscal year 2010 funds to increase access to healthcare for Americans living in rural areas.
 

NIST publishes finalized EHR testing procedures

Top Stories | Thursday, August 19 2010
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published a set of approved procedures for testing information technology systems that work with EHRs. The approved and finalized testing procedures are now available for use, according to the institute.
 

HHS announces $46 million to ensure transparency in health insurance markets

Industry News | Wednesday, August 18 2010
Affordable Care Act grants totaling $46 million will be distributed to 45 states and Washington, D.C. to help improve the oversight of proposed health insurance premium increases, take action against insurers seeking unreasonable rate hikes and ensure consumers receive value for their premium dollars, announced U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
 

NIH establishes new breast cancer research committee

Industry News | Tuesday, August 17 2010
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, has established a new advisory committee to develop and coordinate a strategic federal research agenda on environmental and genetic factors related to breast cancer, the Interagency Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Coordinating Committee (IBCERCC).
 

Stanley awarded $15M to support NHIN

Contracts & Installations | Monday, August 16 2010
Stanley was awarded two time-and-materials contracts, valued at $15 million, by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT to provide operational and infrastructure support for the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN).
 

GE's Centricity Practice Solution receives CCHIT premarket approval

New Products | Friday, August 13 2010
GE Healthcare has reportedly gained conditional permarket approval for its Centricity Practice Solution version 9.5 EMR technology by the Certification Commission for Health IT (CCHIT) as a CCHIT Certified 2011 Ambulatory EHR with additional certification for child health and cardiovascular medicine with advanced reporting.
 

Report: Relaxed meaningful use criteria reflect reality

Industry News | Friday, August 13 2010
Final meaningful use rules that relax criteria slightly for EMRs reflect a more realistic approach given the slow adoption rates of EMRs among physicians over the past few years, according to a report from healthcare research firm Kalorama Information.
 

Payors get into meaningful use incentives game

Top Stories | Friday, August 06 2010
Aetna, through its provider contracting process, will offer financial incentives to physicians who achieve specific quality of care goals and who make investments in technology for implementation of an EHR.
 

HHS allocates $159M for healthcare workforce training

Industry News | Thursday, August 05 2010
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary awarded $159.1 million in healthcare workforce training program grants to train nurses and geriatric specialists in order to improve the performance and recruitment of under-represented minority students.
 

SXC tunes software for D.0 compliance; releases 2Q financials

Industry News | Thursday, August 05 2010
SXC Health Solutions has completed the development and testing of software to support the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) version D.0 of the NCPDP Telecommunication Standard.
 

CCHIT gives Keane's EHR thumbs-up

Industry News | Monday, August 02 2010
Keane Optimum 3.1, Keane’s EHR technology, has received preliminary EHR certification from the Certification Commission for Health IT (CCHIT).
 

McKesson's Q1 income up 3%

Financial News | Sunday, August 01 2010
McKesson has reported that revenues for the first fiscal quarter, which ended June 30, were $27.5 billion compared to $26.7 billion a year ago.
 

HHS allots $51 million for state health insurance exchanges

Industry News | Friday, July 30 2010
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has made available $51 million in grants to help states begin work to establish health insurance exchanges.
 

HIT Standards Committee: Clinical Quality Workgroup to emerge from hibernation?

Industry News | Wednesday, July 28 2010
The Clinical Quality Workgroup of the Health IT Standards Committee under the Department of Health and Human Services is now in a “hibernation period," said Janet Corrigan, MD, chair and president of the National Quality Forum, speaking at the HIT Standards Committee's July meeting.
 

Rite Aid pays HHS $1M over HIPAA violations

Top Stories | Tuesday, July 27 2010
Rite Aid, along with its 40 affiliated entities, have agreed to pay $1 million to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced.
 

CCHIT launches specialized EHR certification programs

Industry News | Tuesday, July 27 2010
The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) has launched new certification programs for EHRs in behavioral health, both as an optional addition to ambulatory EHR certification and as a stand-alone behavioral health EHR used in other outpatient settings.
 
Web Exclusives

Feature: U.S. needs national strategy to curb imaging overutilization

Medical imaging overutilization--a growing concern in the U.S.--exposes patients to unnecessary radiation, while also adding to rising healthcare costs, according to a study published online Aug. 24 in Radiology. In an interview, William R. Hendee, PhD, lead author, reviewed various methods by which medical imaging could be curtailed.

Radiology: Prelim study shows CE breast CT outperforms CT, mammo

Dedicated contrast-enhanced (CE) breast CT delivered significantly improved conspicuity of malignant breast lesions, including ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), compared with unenhanced breast CT and mammography, according to a study published in the September issue of Radiology.

Radiology: Rad role may evolve as image-guided biopsies trend up

CT, ultrasound and MRI have helped shift biopsy techniques away from more invasive approaches toward image-guided percutaneous techniques, according to a study published in the September issue of Radiology. The trend toward less-invasive approaches translates into enhanced safety and efficiency and could lead to more interaction between patients and radiologists.

CMS Webinar: Incentive payments to offset EHR adoption, not reimburse

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) EHR incentive payments are not considered reimbursement for money expended on EHR technology, but are intended to offset the cost associated with adoption and ongoing meaningful use, according to CMS during an Aug. 12 webinar.

CMS webinar: Eligible professionals can expect EHR incentives in 2011

Funding incentives for EHR use is the main goal of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) meaningful use initiative, and there are incentive programs for both hospitals and eligible professionals, according to Elizabeth Holland, health insurance specialist at the Department of Health and Human Services, who spoke during a CMS-sponsored webinar Aug. 8.

Webinar: Stage 1 of meaningful use is for quality reporting acclimation

Stage 1 requirements for meaningful use incentives aim to strike a balance between the overall goal of EHR use and widespread adoption, while avoiding added work, said Jonathan Teich, MD, PhD, chief medical informatics officer at Elsevier Health Services, during a HIMSS webinar titled “Meaningful Use: Safety and Quality of Care.”

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