Email Alert
March 9, 2010
By Cami M. Pendell**
The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) and the Michigan Department of Information Technology (MDIT) were awarded a grant of more than $14.9 million by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to accelerate the growth and progress of health information technology (HIT) in Michigan. The grant funds are provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The Michigan Health Information Network, an MDCH and MDIT-led collaborative of healthcare stakeholders from across the state, will use the Recovery Act funds to implement the first statewide HIT network and advance the state's use of HIT. The goal of the Michigan Health Information Network is to enable Michigan citizens and healthcare providers to have greater access to individual patient records and healthcare information.
The $14.9 million grant will be used over the next four years to build the technological infrastructure to integrate local and regional health information exchanges, health systems, state of Michigan systems, and integrated delivery networks. Once the infrastructure is in place, it is expected that it will enable healthcare providers from across the state to share information and thus reduce the overall cost of care while increasing healthcare quality and patient safety.
**We would like to thank Cami M. Pendell, JD (BL Government Affairs LLC, Lansing, MI), for providing this email alert, and the Health Information and Technology Practice Group Leadership for reviewing this alert.
*Health Information and Technology
Gerald "Jud" DeLoss, Chair
Amy Leopard, Vice Chair of Membership
Patricia Markus, Vice Chair of Educational Programs
Daniel Orenstein, Vice Chair of Publications
Rebecca Williams, Vice Chair of Strategic Activities
Robert Wilson, Vice Chair of Research & Website
Healthcare Reform Educational Task Force
Robert Kessler, Chair
Katherine Keefe, Vice Chair of Educational Programs
Julie Barnes, Vice Chair of Federal Policy
Claire Miley, Vice Chair of State Policy
Richard Sanders, Vice Chair of Publications