Regional Extension Center for Health Information Technology for Minnesota and North Dakota

Learn how the HIT Regional Extension Center can help you receive government funds tied to meaningful use of an EHR.

The Regional Extension Assistance Center for Health Information Technology (REACH) for Minnesota and North Dakota works with providers to improve the quality and value of care they deliver through adopting and meaningfully using health information technology (HIT), specifically electronic health records (EHR).

REACH—a program of Key Health Alliance—serves as a Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center, as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. It is one of 32 HIT Regional Extension Centers being established across the country to provide education and technical assistance to help providers select, implement, and achieve meaningful use of certified EHR technology, as well as the ability to exchange health information with other providers and agencies.

To help meet national HIT Regional Extension Center Program goals, REACH aims to provide technical assistance services and support to 5,100 priority primary care physicians and other clinicians in Minnesota and North Dakota over the next four years. Over 4,600 providers at more than 400 practices have already expressed their interest in participating in the program and receiving technical assistance services. In addition to primary care practices, REACH services will be available to providers of all types across the continuum of care.

Services in Spring 2010

Key Health Alliance is working to build the infrastructure for the REACH program and plans to start offering services later in spring 2010.

Services will be available to all providers, including those who already have an EHR and those that do not. Technical assistance and services from REACH will focus on the following areas of support as you work towards adoption and meaningful use:

• Select and purchase EHR software
• EHR implementation and project management support
• Practice and workflow redesign
• Functional interoperability and health information exchange assessment and guidance
• Privacy and security best practices
• EHR optimization and meaningful use

Through REACH services, health care providers can expect to receive HIT education and technical assistance to improve the quality and value of care they deliver. Primary care providers may become eligible for incentive payments for their Medicare and Medicaid patients upon demonstrating meaningful use.

Key Health Alliance
Key Health Alliance is a partnership of Stratis Health, Rural Health Resource Center, and The College of St. Scholastica and was developed with an emphasis of meeting the needs of the rural and underserved. The three organizations have a long history of working together to improve health care. Each organization has unique and complementary expertise and experience in health care quality, education, patient safety initiatives, and health information technology. This partnership formalizes our commitment to a long term, ongoing, working relationship.

Minnesota and North Dakota Councils
Two state councils will guide REACH’s strategy and implementation, and coordinate with other ARRA funded efforts. The Minnesota Council includes Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Department of Human Services/State Medicaid Agency, and University of Minnesota, Academic Health Center. The North Dakota Council includes North Dakota HIT Advisory Committee, North Dakota

News release February 16, 2010

REACH is a project federally funded through the Office of the National Coordinator, Department of Health and Human Services (grant number EP-HIT-09-003).

More information

If you would like more information about REACH, contact:

Chere Wood

Stratis Health, Program Coordinator

952-853-8558 or 877-787-2847