Grants for health IT pilot project announced by White House

Grants for health IT pilot project announced by White HouseThe White House announced on Tuesday that fifteen U. S. communities will serve as pilots for health information technology programs funded through stimulus funds.

The programs would share $220 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds that the administration says would streamline record-keeping and create thousands of jobs in an emerging healthcare field, Vice President Joe Biden and Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said.

Biden said, "These pioneering communities are going to lead the way in bringing smarter, lower-cost healthcare to all Americans through use of electronic health records."

Administration officials said in a news release that the selected so-called Beacon Communities will use health IT resources to bring together healthcare professionals, patients, community health and federal programs to design new ways to improve quality and efficiency that benefit patients and taxpayers. Each Beacon Community has specific and measurable goals for quality, cost-efficiency and population health.

Sebelius further said, "The most important healthcare innovations are those that are designed and tested by providers and community leaders all across the country. The Beacon Community Program will tap the best ideas across America and demonstrate the enormous benefit health IT will have to improving health and care within our communities." (With Inputs from Agencies)