With the end goal of expanding health care services to low-income and uninsured individuals, the U.S. Health Resources and Service Administration has awarded $27.8 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to Community Health Center-controlled networks and large multi-site Health Centers to implement electronic health records and other health information technology innovations.
The Michigan Primary Care Association Health Information Technology (HIT) Network is among 18 grant recipients, receiving $1,863,409 to support electronic health record implementation.
“Michigan Primary Care Association will use the funds to match technology through its application services provider, Virtual CHC, with Community Health Centers through the MPCA HIT Network to provide Health Center staff with an excellent user-friendly Electronic Health Record system and sophisticated data warehousing systems,” said Fay Thiel, Director of Network Development, Michigan Primary Care Association. “This will enable Health Centers to provide their patients with the highest quality care, while enabling the Health Centers to meet their unique management and reporting requirements.”
Five Michigan Community Health Centers will participate in this project that includes health outcomes benchmarking and ongoing evaluation of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and childhood immunizations. Baldwin Family Health Care (Baldwin, MI), Cherry Street Health Services (Grand Rapids, MI), Family Medical Center of Michigan (Carleton, MI), and Ingham County Health Department (Lansing, MI) will integrate functions, share data to improve Health Center operations, and maximize efficiencies.
Michigan Primary Care Association has been the voice for Community Health Centers and other community-based providers in Michigan since 1980. It is a leader in building a healthy society in which all residents have convenient and affordable access to quality health care. MPCA’s mission is to promote, support, and develop comprehensive, accessible and affordable quality community-based primary care services to everyone in Michigan.
