• The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) publishes the Certified Health IT Product List (CHPL). .
Dated October 05, 2010
• Federal health IT coordinator completes nationwide system to assist doctors and hospitals in switching to electronic health records.
Dated September 28, 2010
• HHS awards $320 million to expand primary care workforce.
Dated September 27, 2010
• The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) named InfoGard Laboratories, Inc., San Luis Obispo, Calif. as an ONC-Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ONC-ATCB).
Dated September 17, 2010
• HHS Awards $130 Million to Boost Health Professions Workforce
Dated September 17, 2010
• $20 million in new Funds to Support Rural Hospitals Switch to Electronic Health Records
Dated September 10, 2010
• Cincinnati, Detroit selected as final health IT pilot communities under innovative HHS Recovery Act Beacon Program
Dated September 2, 2010
• Beacon Communities Announcement
Dated September 1, 2010
• HHS Awards $10 Million in Prevention and Wellness Grants to 10 National Organizations Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Dated July 07, 2010
• HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the awarding of $96 million in grants to increase diversity in the health professions workforce and encourage nurses to choose careers as nurse educators.
Dated July 01, 2010
• The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched the official website for the Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. This website provides the most up-to-date, detailed information about the EHR incentive programs.
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Dated June 21, 2010
• Sebelius Announces New $250 Million Investment to Lay Foundation for Prevention and Public Health
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Dated June 18, 2010
• ONC Issues Final Rule to Establish the Temporary Certification Program for Electronic Health Record Technology
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Dated June 18, 2010
• HHS Awards $83.9 Million in Recovery Act Funds to Expand Use of Health Information Technology
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Dated June 03, 2010
• New round of two additional Beacon awards totaling $30.3 million announced
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Dated May 27, 2010
• Vice President Biden, HHS Secretary Sebelius Announce Beacon Communities to Lead the Way in Demonstrating Meaningful Use of Health IT
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Dated May 04, 2010
• Award-winning healthcare IT firm continues to WOW Clients.
Dated April 29, 2010
• New Funding Opportunity Announcement for Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA).
Dated April 22, 2010
• More physicians eligible for incentive payments for Meaningful Use of EHRs.
Dated April 16, 2010
• HHS Announces $267 Million in Recovery Act Funds for New Health IT Regional Extension Centers.
Dated April 06, 2010
• HHS Awards $144 Million in Recovery Act Funds to Institutions of Higher Education and Research to Address Critical Needs for the Widespread Adoption and Meaningful Use of Health Information Technology.
Dated April 02, 2010
• The Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances IFR is now available.
Dated March 25, 2010
• Change in Application Receipt Date for AHRQ Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA).
Dated March 16, 2010
• HHS Announces Additional $162 Million in Recovery Act Investment to Advance Widespread Meaningful Use of Health IT
Dated March 15, 2010
• Sebelius Sends Letter to Insurance Company CEOs, Calls on Executives to Publicly Justify Premium Hikes.
Dated March 8, 2010
• President Obama discussed his health insurance reform that will give Americans more control over their health care by holding insurance companies more accountable.
Dated March 3, 2010
• Proposed Rule for the Establishment of Certification Programs for Health Information Technology.
Dated March 2, 2010
• Obama Administration Grants Relief to States on Payments to Medicare for Part D Costs.
Dated Feb 18, 2010
• The Health and Human Services Department today awarded grants totaling more than $760 million to jumpstart the delivery of programs and services that aim to get healthcare providers on the road to digitizing their practices.
Dated Feb 12, 2010
• Sebelius, Solis Announce Nearly $1 Billion Recovery Act Investment in Advancing Use of Health IT, Training Workers for Health Jobs of the Future.
Dated Feb 12, 2010
• ARRA OS: Recovery Act 2009 Limited Competition: Accelerating Implementation of Comparative Effectiveness Findings on Clinical and Delivery System Interventions by Leveraging AHRQ Networks (R18).
Dated Feb 09, 2010
• Obama Sets Aside Billions for Health Care under the Proposed 2010 Fiscal Year Budget.
Dated Feb 01, 2010
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For budget breakdown please visit
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• In the interest of transparency, starting in January 2010, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) is making available to the public the HIT Policy Committee and the HIT Standards Committee workgroups’ deliberations. All workgroup meetings will be available via webcast; for instructions on how to listen via telephone or Web visit (Majority of the workgroups’ meetings will be available both via phone or web, except when indicated otherwise.)Please check the ONC website for additional information as it becomes available since any last minute additions or modifications to previously announced workgroup meetings cannot always be published in the Federal Register to provide timely notice. In addition, audio files (.mp3) of FACA Committee meetings and the workgroup meetings will be available on the ONC website within 24 to 48 hours following the conclusion of each meeting. A draft transcript of the meetings will be available within 5 to 8 business days. All transcripts will be marked and considered “draft” until they are reviewed and approved by the committee or workgroup members.
Dated Jan 25, 2010
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) posts four new grant announcements.
Dated Jan 25, 2010
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• State and Territories Recovery Act Medicaid Program Funding (FMAP): Additional funding opportunities.All States, the District of Columbia, and US Territories received additional Recovery Act Medicaid FMAP the week of January 8, 2010. Additionally, Michigan and Utah FY2009 awards were adjusted.
Dated Jan 13, 2010.
• CMS & ONC publish the interim final rule report on “Meaningful Use” in the Federal Register.
Dated Jan 13, 2010.
• HIT publishes “Interim Final Rule” describing required certification standards for EHR technology.
Dated Jan 13, 2010
• Interim Final Rule on Meaningful Use of an EHR system released on Dec 30.
• A Message from Dr. David Blumenthal, National Coordinator for HIT
As health care providers and hospitals across the nation incorporate electronic health records into routine patient care, the demand for highly skilled health IT professionals will rapidly grow. We will need a workforce that not only understands the technology and how it functions, but also its implications for patient care and workflow in clinical settings. When my practice implemented electronic records a decade ago, we were fortunate to have our hospital’s highly skilled IT support staff working shoulder-to-shoulder with us. These staff got us over the considerable hurdle of learning to use EHRs. Unfortunately, not every hospital or practice has the benefit of this kind of help, and the necessary personnel are in short supply. Various studies have shown that we need at least 50,000 additional qualified health IT workers to assist hospitals and physicians as they move to adopt and meaningfully use electronic health records. Clearly, we must “grow” a corps of talented individuals with different backgrounds to fill a wide range of important roles, to support rising demand sparked by the Medicare and Medicaid incentives authorized by HITECH.
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