Who is Illinois HITREC?
What are the Health Information Technology (HIT) Regional Extension Centers?
Who are priority primary care providers (PPCPs)?
Will providers that are not considered priority primary care be able to utilize IL-HITREC services?
How is the REC set up in Illinois?
What services will the REC provide?
When will IL-HITREC services begin?
How will IL-HITREC assist providers in achieving meaningful use?
What Medicare and Medicaid incentives are available for purchase of electronic healthcare systems?
Who is eligible for the incentives?
How do I participate in this program?
How does IL-HITREC assist practices in selecting EHR vendors?
How does IL-HITREC select technical assistance consultants for practice implementations?
Who is Illinois HITREC?
IL-HITREC is administered by Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. In order to provide local services throughout the State of Illinois, delivery of these services is provided through satellite offices which include Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council in Northeast Illinois, Northern Illinois University in Northwest Illinois, Quality Quest for Health of Illinois in Central Illinois, and Southern Illinois Healthcare Council in Southern Illinois. IL-HITREC also collaborates with the Chicago Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (CHITREC), administered by Northwestern University, which serves priority primary care providers in the City of Chicago.
Additional IL-HITREC collaborators include:
- Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network
- Illinois Hospital Association
- Illinois Public Health Institute
- Illinois State University
- Northern Illinois Physicians for Connectivity
- University of Illinois at Chicago
What are the Health Information Technology (HIT) Regional Extension Centers?
The HIT Regional Extension Centers were established as part of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, (Title IV in Division B of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) authorizing financial incentives to Medicare and Medicaid providers who achieve meaningful use of certified electronic health record (EHR) technology and are funded through as award from the Office of the National Coordinator, Department of Health and Human Services (Grant 90RC0023/01).
The purpose of the Regional Extension Centers (RECs) is to provide education, outreach, and technical assistance to priority primary care providers in their region to assist them in selecting, successfully implementing, and achieving meaningful use of certified EHR products.
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Who are priority primary care providers (PPCPs)?
As defined by the HITECH Act, priority primary care providers are physicians (Internal Medicine, Family Practice, OB/GYN, Pediatrics) and other healthcare professionals (PA, NP, Nurse Midwife) with prescribing privileges in the following settings:
- Small group practices (10 or less providers)
- PPCPs employed by public or critical assess hospitals
- Community health centers and rural health clinics
- Other ambulatory settings that predominantly serve uninsured, underinsured, and medically underserved populations*
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Will providers that are not considered priority primary care be able to utilize IL-HITREC services?
IL-HITREC is committed to meeting the needs of all providers in the state of Illinois who wish to achieve meaningful use with their EHRs. While government subsidies are being prioritized for the priority primary care providers, IL-HITREC will have opportunities for other providers to access the information and resources of the center.
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How is the REC set up in Illinois?
There are two RECs in Illinois, one providing services in the City of Chicago, and the other providing services for the rest of the State of Illinois. The City of Chicago REC is administered by Northwestern University who will handle outreach for the 606** zip codes in Chicago.
IL-HITREC is administered by Northern Illinois University with satellite delivery offices in DeKalb, Chicago, Peoria and Sauget. Below is a list of counties covered by the Illinois Regional Extension Center and each satellite office:
- Illinois Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb: All Illinois counties less 606** zip codes
- Northeast Satellite Office at Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council in Chicago: Cook, DuPage, Kankakee, Lake, and Will (excluding 606** zip codes)
- Northwest Satellite Office at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb: Boone, Bureau, Carroll, DeKalb, Grundy, Jo Daviess, Henry, Kane, Kendall, LaSalle, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Putnam, Rock Island, Stephenson, Whiteside, and Winnebago
- Central Satellite Office at Quality Quest for Health of Illinois in Peoria: Adams, Brown, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Coles, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Ford, Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Iroquois, Knox, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Morgan, Moultrie, Peoria, Piatt, Pike, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Tazewell, Vermillion, Warren, and Woodford
- Southern Satellite Office at the Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation in Sauget: Alexander, Bond, Calhoun, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, Cumberland, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Greene, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Johnson, Lawrence, Macoupin, Madison, Marion, Massac, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Richland, Saline, St. Clair, Union, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, White, and Williamson
What services will the REC provide?
An overview of the services includes but is not limited to:
Pre-Implementation
- Vendor Selection
- Individual or group purchasing options
- Site assessment and readiness survey
- Project management support
- Onsite technical assistance
- Onsite workflow analysis and redesign
- Update roles and responsibilities for clinical and support staff
- ePrescribing
- Quality reporting assistance
- Technical assistance to ensure continuity of care
- Interface assistance
- Provide document templates
- Provide best practice models
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When will IL-HITREC services begin?
It is anticipated services will begin in June 2010, once funding is distributed by the Department of Health and Human Services. In the interim, interested physicians and practices are encouraged to fill out the brief Qualification Survey and e-mail it to info@ilhitrec.org or fax it to 815-753-2555.
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How will IL-HITREC assist providers in achieving meaningful use?
General and technical assistance will be provided to all participating practices. A customized roadmap will be developed for each participant based on the results of a readiness assessment that will be completed at the early stages of participation. Participants will receive tailored assistance for achieving meaningful use based on their assessment.
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What Medicare and Medicaid incentives are available for purchase of electronic healthcare systems?
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus package includes financial incentives for healthcare providers that achieve meaningful use with an EHR. Medicare incentives can provide up to $44,000 per provider* over 5 years, and Medicaid incentives, up to $63,750 per provider* over 6 years.
* Eligible PPCPs can receive the maximum reimbursement by meeting meaningful use requirements by the fourth quarter of 2011. After this date, reimbursements will represent a portion of this amount.
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Who is eligible for the incentives?
Beginning in 2011, priority primary care providers who meet the following criteria will be eligible for the incentives:
- Use of a certified EHR to achieve meaningful use;
- Exchange health information to improve the quality of care; and
- Report on quality measures.
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How do I participate in this program?
Please fill out the online Qualification Survey or download the Qualification Survey to verify eligibility and a representative will be in contact with you. If you have any questions contact us at info@ilhitrec.org or 815-753-1136.
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EHR Vendors and Consultants
How does IL-HITREC assist practices in selecting EHR vendors?
As a Regional Extension Center, IL-HITREC has a responsibility to be vendor neutral in making recommendations for EHR vendors. At this point, IL-HITREC is collecting EHR vendor information and analyzing it for a match between EHR vendor software and practice characteristics, and will be assisting practices in making an informed choice based on their practice needs. As vendors provide us with their product information, we will include it in our analysis, and will contact appropriate vendors should there be a match between the vendor EHR product and the practice that is receiving direct assistance through IL-HITREC. Vendors may submit product information that will be used in our analysis.
If you would like to provide us with your information, please complete an EHR vendor questionnaire. At this time, we will be retaining all vendor information for use as we work with PPCPs in selecting EHR systems. Please note that vendors are only contacted if there is a match.
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How does IL-HITREC select technical assistance consultants for practice implementations?
In April, 2010, IL-HITREC opened an RFI for Technical Assistance Consultants to serve the Illinois Regional Extension Center (IL-HITREC). This RFI was posted on the Illinois State Procurement site. During the month of April, IL-HITREC accepted proposals. At the end of April, the RFI was closed and IL-HITREC began a review process. At this time, IL-HITREC has identified the Technical Assistance Consultants that they will be working with. If a need should arise for additional consultants, a new RFI will be issued and information on submitting your proposal will be posted on our website (www.ilhitrec.org). In the meantime, if you would like to send IL-HITREC your information, please email your contact information, a short executive summary and your website address to info@ilhitrec.org.
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ILHITREC P.O. Box 755, Sycamore, IL 60178 Ph: 815-753-1136 Fax: 815-753-2460
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