Community Wellness Centers of America, LLC’s (CWCOA) strategic partnership with OmniMD was formed as part of a pilot healthcare program to integrate Electronic Health Records (EHR) technology into the initiative for South East Queens as detailed in CWCOA’s 465 page report, submitted by Senator Huntley to Governor Cuomo, titled “Integration of a Cost Effective Plan for Jamaica/Queens.

This healthcare initiative’s purpose is to provide not only needed medical services to the community, but also provide employment for our residents. To begin this process, community residents will be trained in electronic health records (EHR) technologies creating employment opportunities in the field of internet healthcare which will address the disparities in Southeast Queens.

Unemployed community residents will be trained in the computer facility located within Rochdale Village and cover various disciplines in both internet technology and the use of EHR technologies with specific applications for clinics, physicians and residents which enables them to gain meaningful employment in this community.

Trained residents will be working with participating hospitals, medical schools, and academic institutions in preparation for an integrated healthcare program establishing the platform in building an accountable care organization (ACO) to better serve the community’s healthcare needs.

Dr. Robert Evans, CEO/President of CWCOA stated, we have secured the support from renowned healthcare institutions, specialty physician group practices and State supported services for mental illness and HIV/AIDS to provide easily accessible medical services for our community which includes walk-in clinics, cardiovascular and diabetes services. All of these services will undoubtedly provide various employment opportunities for residents interested in the field of medical services.

Dr. Evans also stated that he and Mr. Divan Da’ve / CEO of OmniMD have worked together on several successful projects including the Healthy Heart Project which was a cardiovascular screening held free of charge in Rochdale, November 2010, and attended by hundreds of residents,  legislators and stakeholders within the community.

CWCOA healthcare initiative will empower the community to fight disparities in healthcare which is supported by both State Senator Shirley Huntley’s office and members of the Rochdale Board of Directors; these members include Joe Evans, Gene Castro and Jeanne Hall

MISSION OBJECTIVES WITH HEALTHCARE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES

CWCOA mission in developing a comprehensive approach and using healthcare information technologies is to identify the specific disparities, and tailor culturally competent clinical quality improvement initiatives that:

• Automate and standardize the collection of race/ethnicity and all relevant data;
• Enables us to prioritize the use of the data for identifying disparities and tailoring     improvement efforts for the treatment and educational programs required to address chronic illnesses and diseases;
• Focus our healthcare information technology efforts to address fragmented care  delivery for racial/ethnic minorities and provide in-home telemedicine services and access to personal healthcare records through secured access contained within OmniMD electronic health records (EHR) technology system; and
• Development of standard practice patterns of care integrated with hospitals and medical services in our community that will provide this healthcare program with increased data analytic capacity to better coordinate care and improve the timely deliverance of care which is fully interoperable with any healthcare information system our local hospitals have adopted.

About OmniMD™:

OmniMD™, Version 11.0 is an ONC-ATCB 2011-2012 certified EHR. OmniMD™, Version 11.0 is a CCHIT Certified® 2011 Ambulatory EHR with Five Star Usability Rating. OmniMD™ suite of Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Practice Management System (PMS) product and services offer unparalleled reliability, ease-of-use, efficiency, and customizability. The comprehensive feature set is customer-driven, innovative and continuously updated to keep pace with rapid changes in healthcare industry. The specialty-specific EHR covers over 30 medical specialties, and is fully customizable to suit individual needs and workflow settings. From EHR to practice management to electronic claims, OmniMD™ empowers healthcare organizations to effectively address their financial, administrative, clinical, and regulatory needs. OmniMD™ is division of Integrated Systems Management Inc.

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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has published additional information about meaningful use of ehr, attestation and payment in the frequently asked questions section of its incentive program website.

For example, in reference to statements that physicians and hospitals have demonstrated meaningful use of ehr, providers must agree that information submitted about clinical quality measures was generated from a certified electronic health record (EHR). They must also state that the information is accurate and complete regarding the numerators and denominators, or the ratio of patients seen for whom the provider has demonstrated a measure and that the EHR has generated a report.

CMS announced the additional frequently asked questions in an online notice May 6 and now has a total of 145 questions and answers at its website.

The agency does not require providers to supply any additional information beyond what the certified EHR technology generates in order to satisfy the requirement for submitting clinical quality measure data in the attestation process.

CMS also explained that a physician must have 50 percent or more of their patient encounters during the reporting period at locations or practices equipped with certified EHRs. A patient encounter is whenever medical treatment and/or evaluation and management services are provided. However, this requirement is different from that establishing patient volume under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program.

In another announcement, CMS said it will host an education call May 19 to offer providers more information about how to meet the requirements for stage 1 of meaningful use and how to verify it in the agency’s attestation module. CMS officials will be able to answer questions from the call-in audience.

Source  :   http://www.govhealthit.com/news/cms-answers-more-provider-questions-meaningful-use

Even as the first tranche of funds from the EHR stimulus package is set to be allocated to eligible providers, a large number of potential beneficiaries are still seeking clarity on the requirements for fulfilling the meaningful use criteria. One of the most important clarifications to come out in this regard is that the EHR systems adopted by eligible providers must be capable of fulfilling all meaningful use objectives and not just those they intend to report on.

This clarification vis-à-vis the meaningful use of EHR was made by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT recently against a provider’s query. ONC makes it clear that “the EHR technology in your (provider’s) possession must have been tested and certified to all applicable certification criteria adopted for the setting (ambulatory or inpatient) for which it was designed”.

This means, irrespective of the CMS directive that providers need to report on any five of ten menu meaningful use objectives along with all core criteria, the EHR should still be capable to fulfill all objectives. It further elaborates on the meaning of “applicable certification criteria” as well as what is required for the EHR technology to meet the definition of Certified EHR Technology as follows:

Step 1: Possession of Certified EHR Technology

In the context of the meaningful use of EHR, Certified EHR Technology is expected to include either the physical possession of a medium on which a certified Complete EHR or a combination of certified EHR modules resides, or a legally enforceable right by an eligible provider to access and use, at its discretion, the capabilities of a certified Complete EHR or a combination of certified EHR modules. An eligible health care provider may determine the extent to which it will implement or use these capabilities, which will not affect the provider’s “possession” of Certified EHR Technology.

Step 2: Demonstrating Meaningful Use of Certified EHR Technology

Generally stated, to claim funds from the EHR stimulus package, eligible health care providers, upon satisfying the core set objectives and measures, can choose 5 out of 10 menu set objectives and associated measures to satisfy the meaningful use Stage 1 requirements.  Consequently, the general rule is that an eligible health care provider for meaningful use of EHR must attest to having satisfied a combined 19 (eligible hospital) or 20 (eligible professionals) core and selected menu set objectives and associated measures using capabilities and standards of a Certified EHR product. Stated another way, eligible health care providers will still be able to receive an incentive payment even if they are unable to demonstrate that they meet up to 5 of the meaningful use menu set objectives and associated measures.

To gain greater clarity on all the meaningful use guidelines, providers must visit the ONC website or seek guidance from their EHR vendors.

(Source: US Department of Health & Human Services)

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will pay physicians four to eight weeks after they verify that they have satisfied conditions for meaningful use of electronic health records. That means that the soonest that CMS will issue incentives is in May.

Providers will not receive the incentive payments within that time frame, however, if they have not yet met the threshold of $24,000 for allowed charges in claims for covered services to Medicare beneficiaries during 2011, CMS said in an announcement April 28.

CMS launched meaningful use ehr attestation on April 18. Once met, a qualifying physician will receive $18,000 in incentives for fulfilling the first stage of meaningful use.

The payments to physicians for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program are based on 75 percent of the estimated allowed charges for their covered during the entire payment year.

If a physician does not reach the threshold by the end of 2011, CMS said it expects to pay the incentive to the provider in March 2012, after allowing 60 days beyond the end of the 2011 calendar year for all pending claims to be processed.

CMS will use a payment file contractor to generate electronic payment of the inventives through the same bank account that providers receive payment for their Medicare claims, according to the announcement

To receive the maximum amount of $44,000 in incentives over the five years of the program, physicians must begin participating in 2011 or 2012. Providers who supply services in a “health professional shortage area” may receive additional incentives, CMS said.The bonus will be separate lump-sum payments within 120 days after the end of the year.

EHR incentives for hospitals and cirtical access hospitals start with a $2 million base payment. They will receive initial and final payments.

States manage the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, in which physicians can receive up to $63,750 over six years. Medicaid hospitals also begin with a $2 million base payment. Timing of the states’ payment of incentives varies according to their program, CMS said.

Source  :   http://www.govhealthit.com/news/cms-explains-how-get-paid-ehr-incentives

More than 21,000 health care providers have registered to participate in the electronic health record meaningful use program, Government Health IT reports.

About two-thirds of this group will be ready to prove they have met meaningful use ehr criteria when CMS launches attestation modules this spring.

Background

Under the 2009 economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHRs can qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments (Mosquera, Government Health IT, 2/22).

Medicaid already has paid out more than $20 million in incentive payments (Conn, Modern Healthcare, 2/23).  The first Medicare incentive payments will be issued in May.

Current Numbers

The latest figures for participating health care providers were counted at the end of January. CMS officials cited steady increases in the number of registrants.

Attestation Modules

CMS will launch its attestation module through its website in April, according to Elizabeth Holland, director of health IT initiatives in the CMS Office of eHealth Standards and Services.

A separate test module will aid health care providers in measuring meaningful use readiness if they are not formally ready to attest (Government Health IT, 2/22).

Source  :   http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2011/2/23/more-health-providers-sign-up-for-meaningful-use-incentive-program.aspx

While a majority of medical practices (80 percent) that have adopted electronic health records (EHRs) say they intend to participate in the Meaningful Use EHR incentives, only 13.6 percent at the current time indicate that they are able to meet all 15 core criteria for eligibility to receive those payments, according to a new survey and report from the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA).

Overall, the type of practice ownership may affect EHR adoption, said MGMA, which surveyed 4,588 healthcare organizations nationwide. The data represented the aggregate experience of more than 120,000 physicians in medical practices.

When MGMA looked at the degree of implementation nationwide, it found notable contrasts between independent medical practices and those owned by hospitals or integrated delivery systems (IDS): For instance, almost 20 percent of responding independent medical practices that owned EHRs said they had optimized their uses of EHRs. Only 8.8 percent of responding hospital- or IDS-owned practices with EHRs said they had optimized their EHR use.

In addition, almost half (48 percent) of independent practices with an EHR were now focused on optimizing its use. Just slightly more than 41 percent of IDS- or hospital-owned practices with an EHR were now focused on optimizing its use. Just under 20 percent of independent practices with EHRs were still in the beginning or implementation stage, compared with 33 percent of the IDS practices with EHRs.

Interest in qualifying for EHR incentives was high among the respondents who are currently using paper medical records, with nearly 29 percent saying that they were in the process of selecting an EHR system. Within this segment, three-fourths (75 percent) have indicated that they eventually intend to particate in the incentive program.

Source    :    http://www.fierceemr.com/story/meeting-mu-eligibility-requirements-will-be-challenge-doc-practices/2011-04-07

Hospitals and physicians who are eligible for participating in Medicare’s electronic health record (EHR) incentive program can start attesting April 18 that they meet the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ meaningful use ehr requirements.

CMS has released an online preview that includes attestation screenshots — giving examples of what the attestation process will look like. CMS notes, though, that the screenshots are only examples, and that the final appearance and language may change. The agency will release additional information about the attestation process soon, including user guides with step-by-step instructions for completing attestation.

Already, CMS has distributed about $37.6 million in incentive payments to EHR meaningful users, Government Health IT reports. And more than 25,217 active registrations of eligible professionals and eligible hospitals have been made for both the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, according to CMS.

CMS notes that providers will need to understand the required meaningful use criteria that applies to them. “Meaningful use requirements for eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals participating in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program are different,” the agency says.

Physicians and other medical professionals, for instance, must report on 15 core measures, five of 10 menu measures, and six clinical quality measures, which consist of three required core measures and three additional measures. Hospitals must report on 14 core measures, five of 10 menu measures, and 15 clinical quality measures.

For the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, providers will follow a similar process using their state’s Attestation System. The dates that each state intends to begin accepting registrations for their Medicaid EHR Incentive Program varies — although CMS has prepared a list providing further information.

Source   :    http://www.fierceemr.com/story/medicare-ehr-incentive-attestation-starts-april-18/2011-03-29

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has launched a listserv to share information quickly about the government’s meaningful use ehr incentive program.

CMS will use the listserv to disseminate information about meaningful use directly to subscribers by e-mail.

A listserv is an electronic mailing list that can send an e-mail to multiple recipients at one time. Users can join the listserv by following the “CMS EHR Incentive Programs Listserv” link on the webpage CMS developed for meaningful use information.

Alerts will be sent about deadlines, updates to the program’s registration or attestation process, details about the payment process and general information about navigating through the incentive program.

Subscribers can set preferences for what type of information they want and how often they want to receive it. There is also a menu of other Medicare and Medicaid topics and programs users can select to receive.

CMS created a website in 2010 devoted to the incentive program. A page for frequently asked questions that was added in June 2010 will be incorporated into the listserv by notifying subscribers when answers to new questions have been posted. Subscribers to the listserv can submit new questions.

Stage 1 of the meaningful use ehr program started at the beginning of 2011. The Medicare portion of the program will continue making payments through 2016, and Medicaid will continue through 2021. CMS is accepting public comments on stage 2 requirements. Physicians can earn up to $44,000 in Medicare bonuses or nearly $64,000 in Medicaid bonuses by meeting all meaningful use criteria.

The American Medical Association has information and tools for physicians who hope to qualify for meaningful use on its health IT webpage, which includes a tool to help determine whether to apply for Medicare or Medicaid incentives.

Source    :    http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/02/28/bisd0303.htm

The American Health Information Management Association recently sent a letter advising the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT to address privacy and other issues carefully when finalizing Stage 2 criteria for meaningful use ehr, Modern Healthcare reports.

Under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of electronic health records can qualify for incentive payments through Medicare and Medicaid.

Letter Details

AHIMA sent the letter to Joshua Seidman, ONC’s acting director of meaningful use.

The letter recommends that final Stage 2 criteria address several issues, including:

• Redisclosure laws, which vary by state and can affect health information exchanges; and
• Patients’ rights to control the privacy and security of their own health data (McKinney, Modern Healthcare, 2/25).

For the Stage 2 criteria, AHIMA also suggested that ONC:

• Address differences in how Stage 1 and Stage 2 criteria measure use of computerized provider order entry systems;
• Align the meaningful use program with federal health reform law programs, the transition to ICD-10 code sets and other regulatory initiatives with similar timeframes;
• Require health care providers to document reasons for declining to follow the guidance of clinical decision support systems (Goedert, Health Data Management, 2/25); and
• Retain the Stage 1 requirement that health care providers allow patients to download and view clinical summaries within three days, instead of the 24-hour window proposed for Stage 2 (Modern Healthcare, 2/25).

Premier Offers Comments on Stages 2, 3

In related news, health care provider alliance Premier recently submitted comments on the initial draft criteria for stages 2 and 3 of meaningful use, Health Data Management reports.

In the letter, Premier said that federal officials should refrain from adding new clinical quality measures to stages 2 and 3 until after completing an evaluation of health care provider performance for Stage 1.

The letter also expressed concern about the lack of structured formats available for certain data elements that patients would be able to view and download under stages 2 and 3 (Goedert, Health Data Management, 2/28).

Source    :    http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2011/2/28/groups-voice-concerns-about-stages-2-3-of-meaningful-use.aspx

The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives is calling on federal officials to let health care providers assess their progress under Stage 1 of the meaningful use program before moving forward with Stage 2, Health Data Management reports.

Under the 2009 economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health records can qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments (Goedert, Health Data Management, 2/18).

Details of CHIME’s Position

CHIME outlined its position in a letter sent to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT.

The letter said that it would be unwise to move on to the next stage of the meaningful use ehr program until at least 30% of health care providers who are aiming to participate in the program have qualified for the incentive payments (Conn, Modern Healthcare, 2/18). According to CHIME, allowing health care providers to gauge their compliance with Stage 1 requirements would achieve a balance between the push to meet meaningful use rules and the recognition that some health care providers will have difficulty qualifying for the incentive payments.

The letter stated that “unreasonable expectations could end up discouraging EHR adoption if providers conclude that it will be essentially impossible for them to qualify for incentives” (Health Data Management, 2/18).

Recommendations for Core, Menu Sets

For Stage 2, CHIME advocated for keeping a set of required, or core, measures and a set of optional, or menu, measures that health care providers can choose from to demonstrate compliance with meaningful use rules. This recommendation is similar to the structure of Stage 1.

Specifically, CHIME said that the core set would be identical to the Stage 1 set, allowing for a boost in compliance levels for some measures. It added that the menu set should contain new measures unique to Stage 2 (Monegain, Healthcare IT News, 2/18).

Source  :  http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2011/2/18/chime-seeks-delay-for-stage-2-of-ehr-meaningful-use-program.aspx