Meaningful Use and Its Role in OneCare
February 10, 2012 No Comments
In this issue:
- OneCare for KentuckyOne Health
Meaningful Use and Its Role in OneCare; What is the Health Information Exchange and Clinical Portal? - Cerner News & Updates
Cerner System Review Completed, Design Review Scheduled for April; Clinical Advisory Group Holds Inaugural Meeting; Physician Kick-off Held Feb. 1 - AEHR News & Updates
AEHR Clinical Council Kicks Off - Visit CHIonecare.net to access OneCare tools and resources for KentuckyOne Health.
OneCare for KentuckyOne Health
Meaningful Use and Its Role in OneCare
The Meaningful Use project is part of OneCare, CHI’s multiyear program that will improve patient care, safety and clinical outcomes through meaningful sharing of patient information electronically. Hospitals need to be completing eligibility and registration now. The process to engage eligible professions will begin in February.
The Meaningful Use project is CHI’s effort to help eligible hospitals and eligible professionals demonstrate Meaningful Use of the electronic health record and qualify for CMS incentive payments under the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) incentive program, established by federal legislation passed in 2009.
The data capture, measurement and reporting systems put in place under Meaningful Use align eligible hospitals and professionals (physicians and mid-levels) with future nationally standardized quality reporting being driven by the federal government.
To qualify for incentives, hospitals and professionals must meet specific requirements to show they’re using certified EHR technology in ways that measurably improve the quality, safety and effectiveness of patient care. Requirements for a hospital and a professional are similar but separate. Each must electronically report on key clinical quality measures and meet a set of other objectives, some core and some selected from a menu.
The hospital component of the CMS program applies to all CHI hospitals, including critical access hospitals. The eligible professionals program applies to non-hospital based physicians and certain other providers.
Embracing Meaningful Use offers us an opportunity to be financially rewarded for what we’ve always been committed to: improving patient outcomes. We estimate CHI hospitals will be eligible for $238 million in Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments over three to six years, helping to offset investments in OneCare.
Communications resources, including a Meaningful Use presentation, are now available on the Meaningful Use page on Inside CHI. Additional materials, including a comprehensive toolkit for eligible professionals, will be available soon.
For assistance or additional information, contact Cheryl Canto, Meaningful Use program manager, at cherylcanto@catholichealth.net or MeaningfulUse@CatholicHealth.net.
What is the Health Information Exchange and Clinical Portal?
CHI’s Health Information Exchange (HIE) will allow for the reliable and secure electronic transfer of clinical information among hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and labs, as well as between CHI and community providers, state and national health information exchanges, third-party testing centers and various registries. The Clinical Portal works with the HIE to provide clinicians with real-time access to a single, comprehensive view of patients’ medical history, regardless of where they receive care, without having to manage multiple systems and passwords. These tools will help clinicians make the right medical decisions based on a holistic view of the patient.
CHI’s facilities in Des Moines, Iowa, will serve as the pilot site with a scheduled launch date of summer 2012. The sequencing schedule for the remaining CHI hospitals has yet to be determined.
For additional information about the HIE and Clinical Portal, please review the fact sheet available on Inside CHI. Questions can be directed to Rebecca Madison, HIE program manager, at rebeccamadison@catholichealth.net.
Cerner News and Updates
Cerner System Review Completed, Design Review Scheduled for April
The clinical team in Kentucky attended the Cerner system review in Kansas City, Mo., the week of Jan. 16. This was the team’s first opportunity to interact with CHI and Cerner clinical informaticists and architects. The system review brought together clinical, operational and physician leaders from across KentuckyOne Health to review decisions made to date, discuss and determine future state clinical workflows, and move the project forward. During the system review, 65 individual sessions were held and 20 were cross-departmental integrated team sessions where CHI corporate informatics, Cerner architects and the KentuckyOne Health design team members made decisions about the system.
Approximately 100 key system design decisions were marked as complete, which means the KentuckyOne Health team confirmed their agreement with the CHI standardized design decisions.
The next Cerner milestone is the design review, which is scheduled for April 2012.
Clinical Advisory Group Holds Inaugural Meeting
The OneCare Clinical Advisory Group (CAG), which is responsible for broad decision making and ensuring the alignment of clinical standards across KentuckyOne Health clinical technology, held its inaugural meeting Jan. 19. It was a successful event as the group came together for the first time to discuss the current state of the project and key decisions. The Physician Advisory Group (PAG) is scheduled to meet for the first time, Feb. 9. The PAG is made up of multidisciplinary physician representation working in an advisory capacity to support the OneCare Cerner initiatives within Kentucky.
Physician Kick-off Held Feb. 1
The KentuckyOne Health Cerner physician kick-off was held Feb. 1 at the Hyatt Regency in Louisville, Ky. KentuckyOne Health physicians from across the state and various specialties attended. In addition to a Cerner system demonstration, various CHI and KentuckyOne Health leaders spoke.
AEHR News and Updates
AEHR Clinical Council Kicks Off
Saint Joseph Health System leaders convened on Jan. 31 to kick off the Ambulatory Electronic Health Record (AEHR) Clinical Council which is a local governing body for the implementation of the AEHR. This was the first meeting for council members, and they were oriented to their structure, purpose, processes, council charter and how they function within the overall OneCare project.
In addition to structure and logistics, members of the AEHR Clinical Council reviewed the organizational effectiveness (OE) and communications advance planning assessment report on Saint Joseph’s Physician Enterprise practices as well as project readiness indicators, risks and strengths.
Leadership from Jewish Physician Group (JPG) also met recently to review the OE adoption capability assessment and communication assessment findings for JPG.
OneCare
