The Minnesota Department of Health's Office of Rural Health and Primary Care has awarded $3.5 million in grants to help health care providers in the state adopt interoperable electronic health record systems, Saint Paul Legal Ledger's "Capitol Report" reports ("Capitol Report," Saint Paul Legal Ledger, 10/30).
On Thursday, state Health Department spokesperson John Stieger said the grants are aimed at helping health care providers with limited resources meet a state EHR requirement.
Under state law, Minnesota health care providers are required to use electronic prescribing systems by Jan. 1, 2011, and to use complete EHR systems by 2015 (Newmarker, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, 10/30).
The grants range from $15,000 to $516,000.
The Office of Rural Health and Primary Care also is accepting applications for the Electronic Health Record Loan Program, which provides six-year interest free loans of up to $1.5 million to help rural and community health care providers adopt EHR systems ("Capitol Report," Saint Paul Legal Ledger, 10/30).