NYeC Submits Comments on Health IT Regional Extension Centers

The New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) submitted comments to the federal Dept. of Health and Human Services on June 11, 2009 outlining its feedback on the draft description of the Health IT Regional Extension Center Program, a key new initiative included in the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

NYeC applauds the creation of the Health IT Regional Extension Center Program. The regional centers funded by this program will play a vital role in delivering technical assistance services to providers and supporting their successful adoption and use of health IT systems.

NYeC also suggests some changes to the draft description of the following including the following:

1. Establish Explicit Linkages between Regional Extension Centers and State eHealth Plans
2. Increase the Amount of the Maximum Award to Regional Extension Centers
3. Support Sustainability by Allowing Assignment of Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Payments to Regional Extension Centers
4. Extend Scope of Regional Extension Center Activities to Include Helping Providers Use Data Obtained Through Health Information Exchange to Improve Care
5. Extend Scope of Regional Extension Activities to Include Measurement of the Adoption and Use of EHRs Within Service Areas

To see NYeC's comments on full, please click here.