Georgia physicians collaborate with DCH on Medicare EHR project

Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) kicked off the first meeting of the Georgia Medicare EHR Community Partnership as part of the DCH's ongoing efforts to encourage small- to medium-sized physician practices to adopt EHRs.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to transform healthcare delivery in Georgia,” said DCH Commissioner Rhonda Medows, MD. “By adopting EHRs into our practices, we have the potential not only to advance the quality of care provided, but also revolutionize the way medicine is practiced and delivered.”

During the meeting, physicians collaborated on Georgia’s application for the Medicare Demonstration Project, which is sponsored by the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Over a five-year period, the program will provide financial incentives to physician groups using certified EHRs to meet certain clinical quality measures.  A bonus will be provided each year based on a physician group’s score on a standardized survey that assesses the specific EHR functions a group employs to support the delivery of care, according to DCH.

“EHRs give doctors the right information at the right time so they can make the right decisions and save lives," said Medows. "This is best tool for Georgia’s physicians to better manage conditions and reduce errors.”
 
Georgia’s Medicare EHR Demonstration Project will help establish a statewide strategy to enable health information to be readily available and transparent, Medows added.

For more information about the Georgia Health Information Technology & Transparency (HITT) Initiative, visit www.dch.georgia.gov/gahitt.

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