RALEIGH -- A UNC program working to improve electronic health records will receive $13.6 million for its projects, Gov. Beverly Perdue has announced.
That is more than half of the $26.5 million in federal recovery funds awarded to North Carolina to facilitate health information exchange at the state level and to aid health professionals as they work to implement and use health information technology.
"Improving the way health information is exchanged among medical providers is vital to a quality and efficient health care system," Perdue said. "This technology will help give doctors and other health care providers the information they need to provide better patient care."
The $13.6 million has been awarded to the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers Program located at UNC Chapel Hill. The entity will establish a comprehensive regional extension center to provide training and technical support for primary care providers using electronic health records. It will use its existing regional infrastructure to hire and train more than 40 new positions in nine regions across the state to provide on-site technical assistance to primary care providers.
The new Regional Extension Center will work collaboratively with a new Health Information Exchange initiative to more effectively utilize health information technology to enhance care.
The North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund will receive $12.9 million to facilitate the Health Information Exchange. In July 2009, Perdue signed an executive order charging the fund as the state designated entity responsible for coordinating the state's health IT recovery efforts. Perdue also formed the North Carolina Health Information Technology Collaborative within the trust fund to lead the efforts to develop the state's strategic plan.
The funds can be used for both planning and implementation to advance appropriate and secure health information exchange across the health care system in the hopes of providing more efficient patient care.
