California Regional Extension Center: A Health IT Regional Extension Center for Southern California - Title: The California Regional Extension Center-Southern California
Service Area: 917, 919, 920, 921, 922, 923, 924, 925, 930, 931, 932, 933, 934, 935, 936, 937, 957
Lead Applicant: The California Regional Extension Center
Address: c/o The California Primary Care Association
1231 I Street, #400
Sacramento, CA 95814
Tel: 916.440.8170
Fax: 916.440.8172
Email: ccastellano@cpca.org
The California Primary Care Association (CPCA), the California Medical Association (CMA), and the California Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems (CAPH) are pleased to present this full application to establish the California Regional Extension Center (Cal-REC). Cal-REC proposes to ensure the availability of local technical assistance, guidance, and information on best practices to support safety net providers in Southern California in the attainment of meaningful use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs). The strength of Cal-REC is the breadth of partnerships that build on existing, trusted, regional support infrastructure needed to achieve meaningful use. Cal-REC will take a collaborative approach which will ensure that stakeholder work together efficiently. It will provide comprehensive linkages between providers and facilities, local HIT service providers, statewide stakeholder coalitions, local and statewide health information exchanges, and the State of California. It is also aligned with the State of California???s most recent draft of its HIT&E Strategic Plan.
Cal-REC is a not-for-profit joint venture between CPCA, CMA and CAPH. Cal-REC will consist of a governing board that will include representatives from statewide provider organizations, local HIT service providers, a fiscal agent, state administrators, consumers, and others key stakeholders. The California Safety Net Coalition (CSNC), an affiliation of over 19 California safety net organizations, will serve as an advisory board to ensure all sectors of the healthcare safety net are represented. Cal-REC will partner with the Public Health Institute (PHI) which has over 40 years experience managing large federal grants to assist with grant management.
Cal-REC will retain a small staff to perform the ???Core Support??? activities of the REC, but envisions the majority of grant funds to flow to local safety net service providers, such as regional clinic consortia, local medical societies, health center controlled networks, Health Information Exchanges, Independent Physician Associations, insurers, and other HIT service providers that have demonstrated capacity that can be scaled up to meet anticipated demand. Anticipated services will include group purchasing, as well as assistance with EHR selection, implementation, optimization, quality improvement, best practice sharing, and workforce development.
Cal-REC will serve approximately 3480 priority providers. Cal-REC will provide necessary services to ensure Meaningful Use at very low or no out-of-pocket cost. Cal-REC will provide services to providers who fall outside of the target population at a reasonable cost. These fees will support the financial sustainability of Cal-REC, and should be cost-neutral to the providers due to achievement of Meaningful Use incentive payments and improved practice efficiency. Please note that Cal-REC did not account for the organizational provider cap in our revenue projections, as this policy makes the project unfeasible.
Anticipated outcomes of the program include:
??? Improved health outcomes as a result of more robust population management, improved continuity of care, and increased quality improvement capabilities at the point of care;
??? Significantly increased percentage of providers achieving Meaningful Use payments versus those who do not use the services of Cal-REC;
??? Improved state and local workforce development;
??? Increased collaboration across stakeholder, payer, government and provider groups.
