District of Columbia Primary Care Association

Washington, DC – May 9, 2013 – The District of Columbia Primary Care Association (DCPCA), the city’s leader in the health care community as a nonprofit, health equity action and advocacy organization, announces today that effective June 5, 2013, Jacqueline D. Bowens, will become the organization’s new CEO.

“The DCPCA Board of Director’s is delighted to have someone of Jacqueline Bowens’ experience and caliber following an extensive review of candidates. Bowens’ proven health care expertise and management skills across a range of senior executive roles make her an excellent CEO candidate and highly qualified to take the organization forward. The Board looks forward to continuing to work with Ms. Bowens to build on the strong momentum that has been created over the past 16 years,” states Dr. Rhonique Shields-Harris, Board chair. Ms. Bowens will be the first person to head the organization following Sharon A. Baskerville, the founding leader.

Ms. Bowens is a health care executive and advocate with over 20 years of success managing external relations strategies and operations in a not-for-profit environment. She recently served as executive vice president and Chief, Government and External Affairs Officer at Children’s National Medical Center (Children’s National) in Washington, DC. Earlier in her career Ms. Bowens served as a staff member for the U.S. Congress with accomplishments in the analysis, development and implementation of legislation and policy. She has spoken nationally on numerous advocacy and public policy issues related to access to care, reimbursement strategies and community partnerships.

Ms. Bowens has served on the Board of Directors of the D.C Hospital Association, Leadership Greater Washington, Safe Kids Worldwide and the Children’s National Advocacy and Public Policy Institute. She is also a graduate of Leadership Greater Washington and is a former President of Women in Government Relations and former Board Chair of the Fishing School in Washington, DC.

“I could not be more excited to lead the D.C. Primary Care Association. I am honored and thankful to the Board of Directors for the opportunity to lead this remarkable organization in this rapidly evolving health care environment. DCPCA’s leadership on behalf of patient equity for the poor and underserved in our community is unmatched. I look forward to working together with the Board, our members, public and private sector partners and other community advocates to further build upon that success,” says Bowens.

Through increased health care coverage, expanded access, enhanced communication, quality improvement, and workforce development, DCPCA’s mission is to facilitate the development and sustainability of an effective, integrated health care system in the District that guarantees access to primary care and promotes equity in health outcomes.

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DCPCA Launches Search for New CEO

ijandreau — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:38:29 +0000

The District of Columbia Primary Care Association (DCPCA), a leader in the community working to improve health care and health coverage for low-income, uninsured, and medically vulnerable residents of the District of Columbia, is seeking its next dynamic leader.

Under the leadership of its board and founding executive, DCPCA has developed a track record of amazing accomplishments over the past 15 years. The next leader shall build upon these accomplishments and, through collaboration with DCPCA’s board, members and partners, craft a clear vision and voice about the future state of healthcare in the District of Columbia.

The Chief Executive Officer will lead the organization as it works with its member health centers and community partners to navigate the changes in today’s health care delivery system. The leader will have a demonstrated passion for health equity as a core value, possess a broad knowledge about health care delivery and financing, and deeply embody the vision and collaborative skills to lead and manage change.

Click here for the full job description and requirements.

eHealthDC Leading the Region in Meaningful Use Achievement

ijandreau — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 16:00:40 +0000

For Immediate Release: November 13, 2012

eHealthDC LEADING THE REGION IN MEANINGFUL USE ACHIEVEMENT
37% of eHealthDC Registered Primary Care Providers are now Meaningful Users
of Certified Electronic Health Record Technology

Washington, DC – DC primary care providers continue to make significant strides in the integration of electronic health records (EHRs) and are currently outpacing providers from across the region in achieving Meaningful Use. Of the 1,077 primary care providers registered with eHealthDC, DC’s Regional Extension Center (REC) for Health Information Technology (HIT), 396 have already met the requirements for Stage 1 Meaningful Use, with more reaching this milestone every month.

“We are very proud of our progress as a REC and the success of the clinicians in our region,” says District of Columbia Primary Care Association (DCPCA) Chief of Technology Operations Donna Ramos-Johnson. “The EHR adoption process alone requires significant time and resources, so it is remarkable that so many of our providers have pushed to achieve Meaningful Use so quickly.”

Qualifying providers who successfully meet the Stage 1 Meaningful Use requirements have the opportunity to earn cash incentives of up to $63,750 for Medicaid providers or up to $44,000 for Medicare through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) EHR Incentive Programs. These incentives, which are dispersed over the course of five to six years, are designed to help defray the costs associated with EHR adoption. More than 150 providers in the District of Columbia have already claimed their Medicare incentive dollars and eHealthDC is working diligently to help Medicaid providers prepare for the DC Medicaid program’s attestation process.

“Our goal is to ensure that all eligible Meaningful Users are prepared to attest for their Medicaid Incentive funds as soon as DC’s program is available,” adds Ramos-Johnson.

eHealthDC has funding to offer subsidized technical support services to 850 DC primary care providers working to adopt or enhance the use of EHR technology and help those providers achieve Meaningful Use. Upon launching the eHealthDC program in 2010, DCPCA had already ensured that all of the District’s community health centers were live on EHR technology. Since then, the team has been able to assist a total of 869 providers to adopt certified EHR technology.

Nationally, RECs are working to assist more than 100,000 primary care providers become Meaningful Users of electronic health records.

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About eHealthDC
A program of the District of Columbia Primary Care Association, eHealthDC is the Regional Extension Center for the District of Columbia. eHealthDC is a neutral source for credible EHR and HIT information, offering direct, individualized, and on-site technical assistance to health care providers pursuing meaningful EHR use. Our goal is to improve the quality of health care in DC while helping eligible providers qualify for incentive payments from the federal government. eHealthDC is committed to working with any provider – regardless of specialty, affiliation, chosen EHR, or status of implementation.

The Regional Extension Center Program was launched in 2010 under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, as a result of the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

About DCPCA
The District of Columbia Primary Care Association is a nonprofit health care reform organization founded in 1996 to improve the health of DC’s vulnerable residents by ensuring that they receive high quality primary health care – regardless of their ability to pay. DCPCA represents 13 primary care providers in 48 sites across the District of Columbia.

Contacts: Imke Schessler-Jandreau, eHealthDC Education & Outreach Coordinator, (202) 552-2312
Shari Lynn Curtis, Director of Community Health Access and Communications, (202) 552-2311

DCPCA Announces Departure of Longtime Leader

ijandreau — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:00:02 +0000

For Immediate Release: November 7, 2012

DC PRIMARY CARE ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES DEPARTURE OF LONGTIME LEADER
Sharon A. Baskerville, Visionary Chief Executive Officer, to Leave Agency

Washington, DC—Today the Board of Directors of the District of Columbia Primary Care Association (DCPCA) officially announces that Sharon A. Baskerville, a pioneering and visionary health advocate and community leader, who reshaped DC’s health care landscape, will leave the agency on December 3, 2012.

“The Board of Directors expresses its great appreciation to Sharon for her passion, vision, leadership, and advocacy. DCPCA and more importantly our community is a better, more just place because of her tremendous contributions,” said Dr. Shields-Harris, chair of the DCPCA’s Board of Directors.

Ms. Baskerville joined the DCPCA in 1998 as the first executive director of this newly chartered organization whose mission was to facilitate the creation of an integrated primary care system that guaranteed access to quality health care. During her 14-year tenure as DCPCA’s visionary leader, Sharon made numerous contributions to improving access and eliminating health disparities in Washington, DC. Her most noteworthy accomplishments include her influential role in the establishment of the DC HealthCare Alliance and the expansion of health care coverage for DC residents; the creation and successful implementation of Medical Homes DC (a $145 million, 10-year initiative to address specific capital, clinical, and operational needs of DC’s aging community health centers); and the creation and successful implementation of a health information technology initiative (an $11 million, five-year effort to assist health centers in adopting electronic health record technology that culminated in the establishment of the DC Regional Health Information Organization patient data exchange network and the DC Regional Extension Center to promote the adoption of electronic health records and support the achievement of meaningful use of essential health care providers).

Ms. Baskerville’s quest for health equity is deeply rooted in her own personal journey. Her passion for social justice began early in her life when, as a single mother on public assistance, she sought health care services for her family at a neighborhood clinic. Ms. Baskerville then worked her way up through the ranks at Community Medical Care, ultimately serving as executive director during her final three years at this local safety net health center.

Ms. Baskerville’s vision for health equity reflects an unwavering commitment to Washington, DC and the principle that persons who are medically vulnerable or underserved need a strong and active voice to positively impact health care policy and funding. Such vision is first illustrated by Sharon’s successful leadership efforts to establish the Non-Profit Clinic Consortium – an organization founded to encourage local safety net providers to collaborate and develop a cohesive vision for the future – in the mid-1990s.

DCPCA’s Board of Directors is committed to finding a new leader who will guide this organization into a new chapter as we prepare for life in a post-health care reform world.

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Contact: Alex Slater, Clyde Strategies, (202) 679-4550

DCPCA to Host its 15th Annual Meeting

ijandreau — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 16:00:34 +0000

Media Advisory: October 5, 2012

DC PRIMARY CARE ASSOCIATION TO HOST ITS 15th ANNUAL MEETING – “Beyond the Stethoscope: How Community Health Centers Address the Social Determinants of Health”

WHO: Mayor Vincent C. Gray (confirmed); Dr. Saul Levin, Interim Director of the DC Department
of Health (confirmed); DCPCA Chief Executive Officer Sharon A. Baskerville; DC and
Federal Government Employees; Community Health Center Members; Health Care
Advocates; DCPCA Board of Directors and Staff

WHAT: DCPCA’s 15th Annual Meeting

WHERE: Kellogg Conference Center, Gallaudet University, 800 Florida Avenue NE, Washington, DC

WHEN: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM, Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Washington, DC — The District of Columbia Primary Care Association (DCPCA) is hosting its 2012 Annual Meeting from 8:30 AM until 5:00 PM on Tuesday, October 9, 2012, at the Kellogg Conference Center at Gallaudet University, 800 Florida Avenue NE, Washington, DC. Mayor Vincent C. Gray will kick off the day at 8:30 AM.

This year’s theme – “Beyond the Stethoscope: How Community Health Centers Address the Social Determinants of Health” – symbolizes our long-term commitment to realizing a health care system with guaranteed access to primary care and no disparities in health outcomes for anyone in our city. A record-setting 500 people are registered to attend DCPCA’s 15th Annual Meeting.

Our keynote speaker, Clement Bezold, PhD, is the founder and chairman of the Institute for Alternative Futures. Between 2:15 and 2:50 PM, Dr. Bezold will share his deep knowledge of, and passion for, strategic planning using future methods in regards to the health care field in his presentation “What We Know About Community Health Centers Leveraging the Social Determinants of Health.” He will inspire our annual meeting participants to imagine how understanding the social determinants of health can help us move toward achieving health equity for all.

Our “Community Action and Innovation Town Hall” meeting will take place between 3:00 and 5:00 PM. Through the lens of social determinants, meeting attendees will have a unique opportunity to engage in an interactive dialogue with government officials, community thought leaders, health policy experts, and advocates on how community action can remove barriers, defeat poverty, and move our city forward to achieve health equity. Communities have the power to energize residents to become champions of their own health care, improve health outcomes, and reduce the cost of care. The town hall meeting will include interactive audience participation and community centered action steps.

The Town Hall will be moderated by Diane Lewis, MPA, Co-Principal and Executive Vice President, ALTA Consulting Group, Inc. and DCPCA CEO Sharon Baskerville. Issues to be addressed in the Town Hall include: Behavioral Health, Addiction, and Recovery; Poverty, Food, and Social Justice; Economics and Public Policy; Community Development, Managed Care, and Health Care Systems; Healthier, Safer Neighborhoods, and Exercise; Technology and Health Care Innovation; and Homelessness, Housing, and Job Training.

The DC Primary Care Association is a nonprofit health action and advocacy organization. Founded in 1996, DCPCA works to improve health care and health coverage for the District’s low-income, uninsured, and medically vulnerable residents by ensuring that they receive high quality primary health care – regardless of their ability to pay. DCPCA represents 14 primary care providers in 48 sites across the District of Columbia. DCPCA works with its members to advance policy and develop programs like Medical Homes DC that help ensure that everyone gets the right care, at the right time, and in the right place. DCPCA’s Medical Homes DC program is made possible, in part, by generous support from the DC Department of Health.

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CONTACT: Shari Lynn Curtis, Director of Community Health Access & Communications, (202) 552-2311

July 11th Groundbreaking Celebration of Unity Health Care – Parkside Health Center

ijandreau — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Media Advisory: July 9, 2012

JULY 11th GROUNDBREAKING CELEBRATION OF
UNITY HEALTH CARE – PARKSIDE HEALTH CENTER

WHO:
The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton, DC Delegate to U.S. Congress (confirmed)
The Honorable Vincent C. Gray, Mayor, District of Columbia (confirmed)
The Honorable Yvette M. Alexander, Ward 7 Member, Council of the District of Columbia (confirmed)
The Honorable Willie Woods, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, SMD 7D07 (confirmed)
Dr. Mohammad N. Akhter, Director, DC Department of Health
Sharon A. Baskerville, Chief Executive Officer, District of Columbia Primary Care Association
Vincent A. Keane, President/Chief Executive Officer, Unity Health Care, Inc.
Families, Ward 7’s Parkside Neighborhood

DCPCA’s Medical Home DC program continues to expand access to primary care east of the Anacostia River, breaking ground in the Parkside neighborhood. Replacing the Hunt Place Center in Ward 7, Unity Health Care, Inc. will more than double its capacity to serve District of Columbia residents in the soon to be constructed state-of-the-art community health center. An estimated 50,000 projected annual patient visits will be scheduled at the brand new 40,000 square foot Unity Health Care – Parkside Health Center. The total cost of this capital project is nearly $26 million. Through Medical Homes DC, DCPCA leveraged more than $15 million – 61 percent of the project costs. Unity-Parkside is projected to open at the end of 2013.

WHAT: Groundbreaking Ceremony for Unity Health Care – Parkside Health Center in Ward 7

WHERE: 765 Kenilworth Terrace NE (at Hayes Street near the Parkside footbridge)

WHEN: 2:00 – 3:00 PM, Wednesday, July 11, 2012

WHY: For elected officials, DC government representatives, the project development team, DCPCA and Unity Health Care staff, and Parkside neighborhood residents to celebrate the latest milestone in the expansion of the DCPCA Medical Homes DC capital projects – expanding access to primary care in the District of Columbia.

DCPCA’s Medical Homes DC program is made possible, in whole or in part,
by generous support from the DC Department of Health.

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Contacts:
Shari Lynn Curtis, Director of Community Health Access and Communications, (202) 552-2311
Audrey White, Director of Corporate & Community Relations, Unity Health Care Foundation, Inc., (202) 715-7982
Najma Roberts, Public Information Officer, DC Department of Health, (202) 724-7481

RENDERINGS OF UNITY HEALTH CARE – PARKSIDE HEALTH CENTER

DCPCA to Host Parkside Community Day

ijandreau — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 16:00:50 +0000

Media Advisory: June 19, 2012

DC PRIMARY CARE ASSOCIATION TO HOST PARKSIDE COMMUNITY DAY
“Healthy People, Healthy Neighborhoods” on Saturday, June 23rd

WHO:
The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton, DC Delegate to U.S. Congress (invited)
The Honorable Yvette M. Alexander, Ward 7 Member, Council of the District of Columbia (confirmed)
The Honorable Phil Mendelson, Chairman, Council of the District of Columbia (invited)
The Honorable Vincent B. Orange, At-Large Member, Council of the District of Columbia (invited)
The Honorable Willie Woods, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, Single Member District 7D07
Sharon A. Baskerville, DC Primary Care Association, CEO
Vincent A. Keane, Unity Health Care, President and CEO
Families, Ward 7’s Parkside Neighborhood

This is a family-oriented, outdoor, fun day with activities for children, musical performances, healthy eating presentations, fitness demonstrations, games, and prizes.

WHAT: Healthy People, Healthy Neighborhoods – DCPCA’s Parkside Community Day

WHERE: 700 Kenilworth Terrace NE (at Hayes Street near the Parkside footbridge)
Future Site of Unity Health Care – Parkside Health Center

WHEN: 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Saturday, June 23, 2012

WHY: To thank the community for their support during the long planning process; share information about healthy eating and active living; preview the new community health center; and promote primary care utilization.

PLEASE NOTE: The actual groundbreaking for the Unity Health Care – Parkside Health Center is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, July 11, 2011.

DCPCA’s Medical Homes DC program is made possible, in whole or in part,
by generous support from the DC Department of Health.

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CONTACTS:
Shari Lynn Curtis, Director of Community Health Access and Communications, (202) 552-2311
Ana Zorrilla, Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator, Unity Health Care, (202) 715-7887
Najma Roberts, Public Information Officer, DC Department of Health, (202) 724-7481

Medical Homes DC Expands Health Care in the District’s Most Underserved Community

ijandreau — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:00:24 +0000

For Immediate Release: March 30, 2012

MEDICAL HOMES DC EXPANDS HEALTH CARE
IN THE DISTRICT’S MOST UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY

Washington, DC—Good news for District residents living East of the Anacostia River. Right next door to the historic Frederick Douglass Home in Anacostia, a state-of-the-art community health center will expand access to primary care for the Ward 8 community. Unity Health Care-Anacostia Health Center will be opening in mid-April at 1500 Galen Street SE. A capital project of the District of Columbia Primary Care Association’s (DCPCA) Medical Homes DC Initiative, the new health center is a collaboration among DCPCA, Unity Health Care (Unity), the DC Department of Health (DOH), and the Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“The Anacostia Health Center will be one of the greatest success stories of DCPCA’s Medical Homes DC Initiative, a project that leverages dollars and provides support and expertise to expand primary care access in underserved areas such as Ward 8. This new 28,000 square foot facility will provide quality, patient-centered health care services in a beautiful new facility for an estimated 50,000 annual patient visits,” said DCPCA Chief Executive Officer Sharon A. Baskerville. “DCPCA is proud to be partnering with Unity and the DOH on this initiative.”

DCPCA dedicated nearly $15 million in funding obtained from DOH through the District’s Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement for project costs for the new building. Medical Homes DC provided 75 percent of the resources needed for the new health center and created the opportunity for Unity to leverage the remaining 25 percent ($5 million) through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

DCPCA used its grant from DOH to purchase the Galen Street property in 2008 and began construction two years later, in 2010. Today, on the site of what was once a condemned building and community eye-sore, stands a brand new health center. On Monday, May 7, 2012, DCPCA CEO Sharon A. Baskerville will turn over the land and the health center to Unity’s President & CEO Vincent A. Keane for the symbolic amount of one dollar at the Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. View more photographs of the new Unity-Anacostia Health Center – including those of the construction, post-demolition, demolition, ground breaking, and concept phases.

A champion and supporter from the inception of the project, Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry comments, “The opening of this new health care center is long overdue! This facility will increase accessibility to health care and the level of medical care readily available to the residents of Ward 8 who deserve it. My thanks to all of those individuals – including Sharon Baskerville – who have helped to make this occasion possible.”

Unity-Anacostia Health Center is currently housed in an old, former Quonset hut in Ward 8, and provides care for approximately 23,000 patient visits annually. The center, located at 1328 W Street SE, will officially close on Friday, April 13, 2012, and services will be relocated to a new facility at 1500 Galen Street SE, near the corner of 16th and W Streets SE, on Tuesday, April 17, 2012. Three sites – Unity-Anacostia Health Center; Unity’s Re-Entry Health Center, located on the campus of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church, 1604 Morris Road SE; and Unity’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) – will be consolidated at this new facility.

Medical Homes DC transforms the District’s health care safety net by leveraging DC government funds to upgrade the quality and effectiveness of many of the local primary care health centers. “We expect to improve the health of our community and reduce the cost of health care delivery in the District by dramatically increasing the number of residents who have established, and use, a medical home on an ongoing basis,” adds Baskerville.

Initiated in 2004, then-Mayor Anthony A. Williams, members of the Council of the District of Columbia, DOH, and other District agencies entered into a public-private partnership with DCPCA’s Medical Homes DC Initiative. Our key partners included: The Brookings Institution, Greater Washington Research Program; the RAND Corporation; Capital Link; and the DC Bar Association Pro Bono Program.

In total, 12 Medical Homes DC capital projects have either been completed or are in some phase of construction across nearly every ward in the District. These capital projects include new developments, expansions, replacements, and renovations – totaling $102,560,667 in projected project costs. DCPCA’s Medical Homes DC grant funds from DOH total $68,755,003 – more than 67 percent of all project costs. For more information, view DCPCA’s Medical Homes DC Capital Projects Summary.

DCPCA’s Medical Homes DC program is made possible, in whole or in part,
by generous support from the DC Department of Health.

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About DC Primary Care Association
The District of Columbia Primary Care Association is a nonprofit health care reform organization founded in 1996 to improve the health of DC’s vulnerable residents by ensuring that they receive high quality primary health care – regardless of their ability to pay. DCPCA represents 13 primary care providers in 47 sites across the District of Columbia. DCPCA – action and innovation for health equity.

About Unity Health Care
Unity Health Care, Inc. is DC’s largest nonprofit health and social services organization. In 2011, Unity served more than 93,000 individuals and families in all eight wards of the District through its network of 29 traditional and non-traditional health care service sites. Unity serves the most medically vulnerable DC residents – including the uninsured, working poor, homeless, and the formerly incarcerated.

About DC Department of Health
The mission of the District of Columbia Department of Health is to promote and protect the health, safety, and quality of life of residents, visitors, and those doing business in DC. DOH’s responsibilities include identifying health risks; educating the public; preventing and controlling diseases, injuries, and exposure to environmental hazards; promoting effective community collaborations; and optimizing equitable access to community resources.

About HRSA
The Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary federal agency for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable.

Background Information
Assessing Health and Health Care in the District of Columbia
Working Paper by the RAND Corporation, prepared for the Executive Office of the Mayor, District of Columbia, January 2008.

Assessing Health and Health Care in the District of Columbia – Phase 2 Report
Working Paper by the RAND Corporation, prepared for the Executive Office of the Mayor, District of Columbia, June 2008.

CONTACTS:
Shari Lynn Curtis, Director of Community Health Access and Communications, (202) 552-2311
Renee E. Sally, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Unity Health Care, (202) 715-7886
Najma Roberts, Public Information Officer, DC Department of Health, (202) 724-7481

eHealthDC Helping Primary Care Providers Pave the Way for Enhanced Health Care Services

ijandreau — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:00:01 +0000

For Immediate Release: March 1, 2012

eHealthDC HELPING PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS PAVE THE WAY FOR ENHANCED HEALTH CARE SERVICES
eHealthDC Now Working With 894 DC Primary Care Providers To Improve Health Care
Through The Integration Of Electronic Health Records

Washington, DC – DC primary care providers are positioning themselves as leaders in the transition to Electronic Health Records (EHRs), with 894 registered to work with eHealthDC, DC’s Regional Extension Center (REC) for Health Information Technology. A program of the District of Columbia Primary Care Association (DCPCA), eHealthDC is one of 62 federally funded Regional Extension Centers helping primary care providers to adopt EHR technology.

At 68.3 square miles, the District of Columbia is smaller in area than most states, and choosing 850 as a target number was an ambitious undertaking given that there are approximately 1,000 primary care providers in DC. “DCPCA’s eHealthDC program staff is committed to reaching out to a high percentage of primary care providers in DC, as compared to most of the states. We are pleased that we not only reached our goal; we surpassed it,” said DCPCA Chief Executive Officer Sharon A. Baskerville.

“DCPCA is proud to have been the catalyst in helping doctors in many of our community health centers and other providers in the District to adopt EHR technology, but we realize that this is only the beginning for many of our enrollees,” added Baskerville. “We are now looking forward to using the strong relationships that we have built with our partners to move all of our REC providers to meaningful use.”

eHealthDC has funding to offer subsidized technical support services to 850 DC primary care providers working to adopt or enhance the use of EHR technology and help those providers achieve Meaningful Use. To achieve Stage 1 of Meaningful Use, as outlined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), providers must utilize their EHRs to collect patient information, coordinate patient care, and report quality measures and public health information.

Currently, 642 eHealthDC registered primary care providers have adopted an EHR system, with 93 already at Stage 1 of Meaningful Use. “The process of moving to an EHR system is neither simple nor cheap, so the eHealthDC team helps providers streamline this process to avoid unnecessary disruptions and expenses whenever possible,” said DCPCA Chief of Technology Operations Donna Ramos-Johnson.

In recognition of these hardships CMS has created an EHR Incentive Program, which offers up to $63,750 for Medicaid providers or up to $44,000 for Medicare providers who become meaningful users of EHR technology. eHealthDC members who may qualify for these incentives receive additional support to determine eligibility, register for the appropriate program, and file for their incentive funds.

Nationally, RECs are working to assist more than 100,000 primary care providers become Meaningful Users of electronic health records.

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Contacts: Imke Schessler-Jandreau, eHealthDC Education & Outreach Coordinator, (202) 552-2312;
and Shari Lynn Curtis, Director of Community Health Access and Communications, (202) 552-2311