Department of Social Services Announces $13.8 Million Federal Grant To Expand Use Of Electronic Health Records

Jefferson City, MO — The Department of Social Services – through its Missouri Office of Health Information Technology (MO-HITECH) – announced today that Missouri has received notice of $13.8 million in federal funding to help health care professionals adopt electronic health records and share health information electronically among providers. Since Governor Jay Nixon created MO-HITECH by executive order in November, it has convened more than 150 medical professionals, health care providers, consumers and other interested stakeholders to develop a Strategic and Operational Plan for secure health information exchange in the state. Missouri’s ability to draw down the federal funds is contingent on the efforts of this public-private collaboration to meet defined goals. Additional financial incentives will be available to hospitals, clinics, doctors and other medical professionals that use electronic health records and meet predetermined standards in the future.

“Health information technology has the potential to revolutionize the way health care is delivered in our state,” DSS Director and MO-HITECH coordinator Ronald. J. Levy said. “It will improve quality, enhance privacy, reduce costly errors and duplicate services, while empowering Missourians to take a more active role in their own health care.”

Most hospitals and physicians currently collect and store patient information in paper files. Historically, the doctor sees a patient, jots down notes in a folder, fills out a form to order tests and writes out a prescription on another piece of paper. Later, if the patient needs to see a specialist or get a prescription filled, numerous paper records must be retrieved, copied and sent.

Statewide health information exchange would allow a doctor seeing a patient in one part of the state to share or retrieve health information from a health care provider in another part of the state — instantly, accurately and securely — to ensure timely and informed delivery of care.

In order to safeguard the privacy and security of patients’ health information and ensure its appropriate use, clear protocols, policies and standards are being developed with guidance from health law experts, privacy experts, physicians and consumer advocates. These standards also must comply with state and federal law.

“The Governor has been very clear that the effort to implement health information technology must be driven by transparency, public input and build upon the tremendous work already being done in hospitals and doctors’ offices around the state,” said Barrett A. Toan, former CEO of Express Scripts and co-chair of the MO-HITECH Advisory Board. “This funding enables us to expand our public-private collaboration during this critical planning phase.”

MO-HITECH is currently finalizing its Strategic Plan for submission to the federal government. The collaborative stakeholder process remains open to the public and will continue to inform the development of Missouri’s Operational Plan. To learn more about health information exchange and the MO-HITECH planning process visit dss.mo.gov/hie/.