The Massachusetts Regional Extension Center has met its recruitment goal by enrolling more than 2,500 primary care providers seeking to demonstrate meaningful use of health IT, Government Health IT reports.
Under the 2009 economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health records can qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments.
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT established the regional extension center program to help 100,000 health care providers across the country meet meaningful use requirements.
Massachusetts REC Participants
Each of the 62 RECs in the U.S. can set its own enrollment goal. Of the health care providers who have signed up to participate in the Massachusetts REC:
- 45% are health care providers in small practices;
- 29% are from community health centers;
- 16% are from small practice consortia; and
- 10% are from public hospitals.
Recruitment Efforts
To meet its enrollment goal, the Massachusetts REC contacted CIOs at all 72 hospitals in the state to determine whether the facilities had an EHR implementation strategy. Staff also met with health care providers across the state at medical society meetings and other educational summits.
The Massachusetts REC also focused its recruitment efforts on community hospitals that have less capital to support a transition to EHRs (Mosquera, Government Health IT, 5/26).