Friday, November 22, 2024
11/22/2024
Project Title: Washington and Idaho Regional Extension Center Program Proposed Service area: Washington State and Idaho Applicant Name: Qualis Health Address: 10700 Meridian Ave N. Suite 100, PO Box, Seattle, WA 98133-0400 Contact Name: Jonathan R. Sugarman, MD, MPH Voice: 206-364-9700, ext. 2300 Fax: 206-368-2419 Email: jonathans@qualishealth.org Website: www.qualishealth.org Qualis Health (QH), a private nonprofit healthcare quality improvement organization, in collaboration with five consortium partners (Inland Northwest Health Services, PTSO of Washington, Community Choice Healthcare Network, North Idaho Health Network, and Idaho Health Data Exchange), proposes to be the Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (REC) for Washington State and Idaho. This consortium is aligned with current public and private sector health IT initiatives, allowing us to obtain over 2,600 letters of commitment from providers. By leveraging the existing technical assistance capacity of the consortium along with established relationships with key stakeholders, we are proposing a readily deployable REC program. A budget of $12.8 million over the first two years of the program will fund the provision of a provider-centric and vendor neutral program of technical assistance to 2,400 priority primary care providers (PCPs), representing about 32% of the total number of priority PCPs in our region. Among priority PCPs, our goal is to assist an estimated 840 (35%) providers transition from paper charts to meaningful use and 1,560 (65%) providers progress from basic use of implemented Electronic Health Records to meaningful use. The proposed program will implement three strategies for technical assistance: 1) Direct practice-level ???boots-on-the-ground??? services, 2) Group educational and training events, and 3) Peer-to-peer networking. All priority PCPs using REC services will collaborate with a dedicated Health IT Extension Coach to complete a standard needs assessment, identifying where providers currently are in the EHR adoption continuum. Based on this assessment, a project plan will be developed that outlines the intervention steps needed to reach meaningful use. Providers will also be able to participate in group learning activities, such as teleconferences, workshops, best practice forums, and access to a dynamic educational website. Lastly, we will facilitate peer-to-peer networking so that providers may directly share success stories and lessons learned with each other through a community of practice. Over the past 35 years, QH has implemented these multifaceted strategies to achieve successful service delivery. To optimally provide technical assistance services, manage project deliverables, and fully collaborate with the HITRC, the REC Executive Director will oversee core program staff, technical staff, and five consortium partners. Staff members include a Director of Program Operations, three Medical Informaticists, two Directors of Technical Operations, 24 Health IT Extension Coaches, and several support staff. The core program staff, technical staff, and consortium partners will engage in close collaboration to support integration of all program efforts. Close monitoring of program activities will be conducted through robust and proven internal management methods. Although services will be free to priority PCPs in the first year of the program, we will introduce provider fees in the second year. Fees will escalate in the third and fourth years of the program for sustainability of the program beyond the 2nd year. We will also pursue other funding mechanisms (e.g., donations, in-kind support, re-direction of Medicaid Incentive money, etc.) as part of our sustainability plan.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
