CAHs Lead the Way in Implementation of EHR
Those familiar with Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) can attest to the fact that when issued a challenge, these organizations are quick to rally. Because of their relatively small size, CAH are built to respond to trends and adopt best practices quickly and efficiently.
To push CAHs and other small rural hospitals to make the leap to EMR technology, in September of 2012, The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) recently issued a challenge to these small providers: Let's see if we can get 1,000 Critical Access Hospitals and small, rural hospitals meaningfully using certified EHR technology by the end of 2014.
At EPOWERdoc, we have the good fortune to work with a number of CAHs. So it came as no surprise when we read a recent post at HealthIT.gov singing the praises of CAHs in adopting EHR technology.
The article (linked here: http://www.healthit.gov/buzz-blog/meaningful-use/wow-1000-critical-access-small-rural-hospitals-meet-meaningful-challenge/) states:
" As of July 31, 2013, we passed the goal with 1,115 (65%) CAHs and small, rural hospitals achieving Meaningful Use. Specifically, 62% (approximately 822 of 1,332) of CAHs and 77% (approximately 293 of 383) of small, rural hospitals (those generally with less than 50 staffed beds) had attested to meaningful use of EHRs."
It didn't even take a YEAR for these organizations to get up, get going and get meaningful use certification. A remarkable accomplishment that will go a long way in ensuring those who live outside the big cities continue to have access to efficient and effective health care.
We congratulate all of the dedicated care givers and administrators of these small hospitals for putting in the extra effort to achieve this milestone and help to meet the challenge. We work closely with a number of those on the list and are proud that they have selected our Meaningful Use certified EMRdoc solution for their emergency departments.
For more information on this accomplishment, to include charts and graphs, check out the full post on HealthIT.gov here: http://www.healthit.gov/buzz-blog/meaningful-use/wow-1000-critical-access-small-rural-hospitals-meet-meaningful-challenge/.
To learn more about EPOWERdoc solutions that ensure a smooth transition, call a member of our professional staff at 515.965.8040 or email jporter@epowerdoc.com.
About EPOWERdoc
EPOWERdoc is a leader in computerized Emergency Department Information Systems (EDIS), using a design team comprised of emergency physicians and nurses. Additionally, EPOWERdoc provides superior medical content for other vendor EMR builds. As it was from the beginning, the EPOWERdoc mission is centered around excellence, integrity and service. Every employee is committed to going above and beyond in meeting the needs of the client, while focusing on the specialized needs of the physicians, nurses and hospitals they serve.