HMS, the ARRA and You: Understanding the Economic Stimulus Package

Healthcare Management Systems, Inc.® (HMS) has been following closely the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) as it unfolds, especially its impact on community hospitals.

Whereas it may require multiple years and millions of dollars to implement larger systems, HMS' turnkey approach and focus on rural and community hospitals will be an advantage.  HMS is uniquely positioned to provide community hospitals with an EHR within a condensed timeframe. See below for information resources on ARRA.

ARRA Funding Opportunities by State:

Follow this link to an interactive map that allows you to see ARRA funding opportunities by state. http://transparency.cit.nih.gov/RecoveryGrants/

ARRA Related Links and Resources:

www.grants.gov

•  search all Recovery Act available funding

http://www.hhs.gov/healthit/

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Information Technology home page
• specifics related to HIT standards, implementation specifics and certification criteria
• information on the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) here as well

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
• register for EHR incentive programs 

http://questions.cms.hhs.gov/app/answers/list/p/21,26,1139

• CMS EHR Incentive Program Frequently Asked Questions
• You can subscribe to receive email updates when new questions are posted. This is a good source for clarifications to the Federal Register.

http://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms/30_Meaningful_Use.asp#TopOfPage

• Meaningful Use Eligible Hospital Specification Sheets
• Scroll down the page to the downloads section. This link will open up a folder of PDF documents by measure with details on attestation requirements.

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-17207.pdf

• Federal Register Meaningful Use Document
• Shows state specific information specific to the Medicaid EHR incentive programs

http://www.himssanalytics.org

• HIMSS Analytics
• To get started in determining your facility's current EHR adoption progress check out the HIMSS Analytics EMR Adoption Model. Click on "EMR Adoption Model".

http://www.recovery.gov

•  a key resource for all things related to the ARRA including how, when and where the money is spent

HMS is also a member of the HIMSS EHRA (Electronic Health Record Association), and our product teams continue to work with its committees working on standards and adoption of the EHR. To learn more about the HIMSS EHRA click here.