Massachusetts e-Health Institute (MeHI)
From MAHealthIT
Massachusetts e-Health Institute (MeHI)
Overview:
The Massachusetts e-Health Institute (MeHI), a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, is the state's entity for health care innovation, technology, and competitiveness. Established by an act of the Massachusetts Legislature, MeHI is responsible for advancing the dissemination of health information technology across the Commonwealth, including the deployment of electronic health records systems in all health care provider settings that are networked through a statewide health information exchange. Through the leadership of Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. JudyAnn Bigby, the Health Information Technology Council, the MTC Board of Directors and with the recommendations and valuable guidance from public and private Health IT thought leaders, MeHI is implementing state and federal mandates to speed the adoption of advanced technologies that save lives and reduce costs in health care.
Current projects:
- Health Information Exchange:
MeHI is initiating a secure statewide health information exchange that is consistent with privacy policies, financially sustainable and driven by the state’s health priorities. It will allow health care providers to electronically transmit key clinical, prescription, lab and other health care data to provide both patients and health care providers more timely and accurate information when making critical health care decisions.
- Regional Extension Center:
MeHI was designated by the United State Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) to develop one of 62 national Regional Extension Centers to help health care providers transition to electronic health records and achieve federal “meaningful use” guidelines to fully utilize the functionality and benefits of an electronic health record system.
MeHI is currently working with over 2,500 health care providers across the Commonwealth to accelerate the adoption of electronic health records and achieve meaningful use. MeHI selected 22 Implementation and Optimization Organizations and 18 Electronic Health Record vendors to help health care providers successfully implement an electronic health record system and offer services and software to meet federal meaningful use guidelines. MeHI also developed a financing program with Webster Bank that offers health care providers assistance with covering the front-end costs of implementing an EHR system.
- IMPACT:
MeHI is developing the Improving Massachusetts Post-Acute Care Transfers (IMPACT) project to support the seamless electronic transfer of clinical information for patients who are transitioning between hospitals, nursing homes and home care. As part of the IMPACT project, Massachusetts health care organizations will participate in a pilot program to use the new electronic version of the state’s Universal Transfer Form, which provides key health data to coordinate care for patients making the transition from one clinical setting to another.
- MDPHnet:
MeHI is working closely with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), private institutions and public agencies to develop a streamlined reporting system for public health agencies. The information exchange will allow physicians to create a secure network to enable public health agencies to have instant access to protected clinical and epidemiological data from physicians through an electronic health record reporting system. This will help public health agencies to have immediate access to important population health data about communicable diseases and other public health issues.
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