Clearfield Hospital Receives Highmark Grant
Date: 3/31/2010 12:00:00 AM
Clearfield Hospital recently received a $69,000 grant for its Electronic Health Records Project from Highmark Inc.
The funding is through Highmark’s Health Information Technology Grant Program. Originally known as the Highmark eHealth Initiative, the $29 million grant program is designed to help physicians acquire health information technology for their practices to improve patient safety and quality.
The grant Clearfield Hospital received will be used to offset costs of implementing electronic health records in the hospital’s physician clinics.
“Having EHR technology is essential in today’s health care field. We’re grateful to Highmark Inc. for recognizing the importance of this project,” stated David J. McConnell, president and chief executive officer of Clearfield Hospital.
An EHR is a secured computer file of patient history, medical transcription notes and other information needed for a complete patient profile. EHR improves patient care by placing information at health care providers’ fingertips – meaning doctors, nurses and other health care providers can access a patient’s complete medical history and the results of diagnostic testing quickly.
Other benefits include better productivity, reduction of medical errors, lower operating expenses due to the elimination of paper processing and improved regulatory compliance.
Clearfield Hospital embarked on its electronic health records initiative last summer. The $5 million project is expected to be finished in 2012, making the hospital eligible for approximately $4 million in stimulus money.
The hardware and software for the system was purchased from Siemens USA Medical Solutions, a company that specializes in EHR technology. The installation of the system is being handled by Siemens, Stoltenberg Consulting and Clearfield Hospital.