EHR And Meaningful Use Support Center
To: Tribal Leaders
Clinic Directors
Tribal Health Directors
RE: Regional Extension Center /Meaningful Use Support Center
Meaningful Use & Provider Sign Up
Dear Respected Tribal Health Leaders,
As many of you know, the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB) received an award from the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) to establish the operations of the NPAIHB Regional Extension Center and Meaningful Use Support Center. NPAIHB (along with United South and Eastern Tribes, California Rural Indian Health Board, and Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium) is a sub recipient contractor of the NIHB AI/AN Regional Extension Center. The purpose of a Regional Extension Center (REC) is to provide assistance to the local tribes in their efforts to select, successfully implement, and meaningfully use a certified electronic health record in order to improve the quality and value of health care. Regional Extension Centers will also help providers achieve, through appropriate available infrastructures, exchange of health information in compliance patient preferences and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. NPAIHB REC is proud to be available in the Northwest to offer support in EHR deployment and Meaningful Use achievement to approximately 140 providers in 3 states at over 35 different I/T/U sites.
The project award was calculated based on our proposal to sign up and provide technical support services for the use of EHRs for the providers in Indian Country. The NIHB-REC and its sub-recipient contractors (NPAIHB, CRIHB, USET, and ANTHC) receive grant funding by achieving the following three Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) mandated milestones:
Milestone 1 - Secure signed agreements from up to 3,000 providers in the
Indian Health System to work with the AI/AN National REC and its sub recipient contractors = $4.7 million.
Milestone 2 - Verify implementation of certified EHR software among those 3,000 providers = $4.7 million.
Milestone 3 - Verify the meaningful use of certified EHRs among those 3,000 providers = $4.7 million.
Achieving the ONC milestones provides the NIHB-REC sub-recipient contractors the necessary funding to support their REC “boots-on-the-ground” subcontractors and staff in support of EHR deployment and MU activities to I/T/U facilities. This may include consultants for lab, pharmacy, nursing, HIM and IT support as needed.
Milestone 1 in which we secure provider agreements is our current focus and is vital to ensuring that funding is available to provide the support you request and need.
While most of our expertise is with RPMS EHR, we willingly support other certified electronic health records. In particular, CRIHB has been noted as the expert knowledge base for NextGen users in Indian Country and we are partnering with them as a resource to provide technical assistance for those sites using NextGen.
NPAIHB is very pleased to announce that we have been successful in recruiting a Director for the REC/Meaningful Use Support Center. Katie Johnson, Pharm D, LCDR, USPHS will be joining our staff to spearhead the project. Mrs. Johnson has 7 years of experience in health care information technologies, pharmacy management, and working with external agencies and entities on technologies based projects. We believe she will provide leadership and vision regarding further development of health information technology assistance for NPAIHB and Indian Country.
NPAIBH REC will be working in partnership with the National IHS EHR Deployment Team, IHS MU Core Team, Neill Dial (Portland Area CAC and Area Pharmacy Consultant) and Angela Boechler (Portland Area MU Consultant).
To meet Milestone #1, we ask that all Tribal health providers sign a Provider Agreement Form to work with the NPAIHB REC/Meaningful Use Support Center to ensure access to our services, including technical support and training to achieve meaningful use of EHRs. We will need the full assistance of the Tribal health clinics and service units to accomplish this milestone mark.
With the assistance of NIHB, we have provided the Agreement Forms, and will make them available on the NPAIHB website at http://www.npaihb.org, under the link: http://www.npaihb.org/programs/project/application_forms/
Note: You do not have to currently be using a certified EHR in order to sign up with a REC.
We request that you have your site’s Meaningful Use lead complete the form and get it back to NPAIHB before December 1, 2010. If you need assistance completing the forms you can contact the Support Center directly at or 503-416-3272. We will also have staff to assist you at the Tribal Health Director and NPAIHB Quarterly Board Meeting in October. There will be a presentation to the Tribal Health Directors on the REC services and MU plan by Katie Johnson and Angela Boechler on Monday, October 17. Here is the link to that information: http://www.npaihb.org/calendar/event/1714
NPAIHB is looking forward to demonstrating with your assistance, Indian Country’s capability to get the job done through the achievement of EHR Meaningful Use. We want to make this endeavor directly meaningful as evidenced by improved health data and reduction of health disparities for our people.
