Health IT 'Beacon Communities' Picked by HHS

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded 15 "beacon communities" a total of $220 million in grants to support test cases for health IT, in an announcement Tuesday, May 4.

Chosen to reflect geographic diversity, the nonprofit communities picked for the Beacon Community Cooperative Agreement Program will build infrastructure for health IT and will implement privacy and security measures for the health-care information that's exchanged.

HHS announced the program last December, with the intent of demonstrating the potential of modernizing health IT systems, building electronic health record systems and health information exchange.

For example the University of Hawaii at Hilo was awarded $16 million to "implement a regionwide Health Information Exchange and Patient Health Record solution and utilize secure, Internet-based care coordination and telemonitoring tools to increase access to specialty care for patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity in this rural, health-professional shortage area."

In another case, the Louisiana Public Health Institute in New Orleans was given $13.5 million to "reduce racial health disparities and improve control of diabetes and smoking cessation rates by linking technically isolated health systems, providers and hospitals; and empower patients by increasing their access to personal health records."

According to the HHS, an additional $30.3 million in available for more beacon community test cases, and announcement for applications will come soon. The beacon communities will also pursue further assistance through federal programs and other resources.

"These pioneering communities are going to lead the way in bringing smarter, lower-cost health care to all Americans through use of electronic health records," Vice President Joe Biden said at a press conference announcing the 15 beacon communities on Tuesday. "Because of their early efforts, doctors across the country will one day be able to coordinate patient care with the stroke of a key or pull up life-saving health information instantly in an emergency -- and for the residents of these communities, that future is about to become a reality."

Beacon Communities Recipients

• Community Services Council of Tulsa, Tulsa, Okla.: $12,043,948
• Delta Health Alliance Inc., Stoneville, Miss.: $14,666,156
• Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, Brewer, Maine: $12,749,740
• Geisinger Clinic, Danville, Pa.: $16,069,110
• HealthInsight, Salt Lake City: $15,790,181
• Indiana Health Information Exchange Inc., Indianapolis: $16,008,431
• Inland Northwest Health Services, Spokane, Wash.: $15,702,479
• Louisiana Public Health Institute, New Orleans: $13,525,434
• Mayo Clinic Rochester, d/b/a Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minn.: $12,284,770
• Rhode Island Quality Institute, Providence, R.I.: $15,914,787
• Rocky Mountain Health Maintenance Organization, Grand Junction, Colo.: $11,878,279
• Southern Piedmont Community Care Plan Inc., Concord, N.C.: $15,907,622
• The Regents of the University of California at San Diego, San Diego: $15,275,115
• University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo, Hawaii: $16,091,390
• Western New York Clinical Information Exchange Inc., Albany, N.Y.: $16,092,485