$23 Million HIE Grant Awarded
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
MassHealth awards $23 million to 61 hospitals to be used to improve delivery systems.
The State of Massachusetts is awarding $23 million to 61 hospitals and community health centers across the state to help them establish integrated delivery systems that provide more effective and cost-efficient care to patients in need.
“Massachusetts is home to some of the world's most highly engaged and innovative healthcare providers,” said Governor Deval Patrick. “Investments like this will help our hospitals and health centers provide cost-effective, patient-centered care to communities across the Commonwealth.”
The Infrastructure and Capacity Building grants are designed to enhance the ability of hospitals and community health centers to more efficiently and effectively provide healthcare services to the MassHealth members they serve. Grant funding supports the development and implementation of best practices, cost-containment and quality improvement initiatives.
The grants help hospitals and adopt the best practices, cost containment, and quality improvement strategies. This year, recipients were required to submit a plan to take advantage of Mass HIWay, Massachusetts' electronic health record secure delivery service.
“This year’s new technology requirements will help place Massachusetts at the forefront of healthcare IT while driving down inefficiencies in care,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services John Polanowicz. “This grant will help establish links between diverse healthcare providers and enable hospitals and community health centers across the Commonwealth to quickly access accurate health information, reducing costs, improving patient care and saving lives.”
This funding represents a 63 percent increase over last year, and allows MassHealth to provide more resources to hospitals and community health centers across the state. Funding was included in the FY14 state budget and the awards are supported by federal matching funds.
The complete list of Infrastructure and Capacity Building grants, separated by region, may be found here. Sixteen of the grants are in Western Massachusetts, according to the release.