Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC) a state-wide primary care system established in 1972 based in Middletown, Connecticut, is expanding their telehealth program to Delaware. The program uses Project ECHO which is an innovative program that uses video conferencing and case-based learning to expand access to specialty care for underserved patients. (more…)
DOD’s Market Research
The Department of Defense Health Management System Modernization (DHMSM) program is doing market research and planning to assess the current state and capabilities of EHR products. DOD is contemplating replacing their EHR systems that will include AHLTA, Composite Health Care System, Essentris, and the EHR component of the Theater Medical Information Program. (more…)
Hospital Discharge Website
The New York State Department of Health (DOH) includes new hospital discharge data on its Health Data NY website at http://health.data.ny.gov to provide 24/7 access to important health information on inpatient treatment in New York State hospitals. “When public health partners, academia, researchers, or others are asked what type of health data they would like to access to support research and analysis, they very often request hospital discharge data,” said State Health Commissioner Nirav R. Shah, MD. (more…)
“Body-on-a-Chip” Under Development
If chemical or biological attacks occur, it is essential to have effective antidotes and therapies ready. Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center’s Institute for Regenerative Medicine was awarded $24 million to develop a “Body-on-a-Chip” project to help counteract the effects from a chemical or biological attack. DOD’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency enabled the Naval Warfare Systems Center, Pacific (SSC Pacific) to make the award. (more…)
State’s Telemental Health Progress
The Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) are working very hard to help both children and adults with serious mental health disorders. Provider organizations are constantly struggling to recruit and retain mental health specialists and often find it necessary to arrange for regular visits by a mental health consultant entailing considerable travel costs. Often, non-mental health providers are placed in the position of serving patients with severe mental health problems with little or no specialty support. (more…)
$3 Million Funds Texas Center
Texas Governor Rick Perry announced that a $3 million dollar investment has been made through the Texas Emerging Technology Fund. (TETF). The funding will be used to create the “Center for Cell and Organ Biotechnology” in collaboration with the Texas Heart Institute (THI) and Texas A&M University in their College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. (more…)
Iowa’s Public Health News
Iowa’s movement into the use of EHRs has reached a milestone as three major health systems have signed participation agreements with the Iowa Health Information Network (IHIN) at www.iowaehealth.org and another facility is going to become the first to go live with a full IHIN connection. (more…)