Health IT

ACU believes that health information technology (health IT) is a vital tool in achieving the health care reform goals of increasing access, improving care delivery, engaging in culturally competent outreach and education, and enhancing workforce development and training.

An electronic health record that includes documentation of demographics, including race and ethnicity, risk factor assessments, and evidence-based preventive and chronic disease management decision support, enables clinicians to more effectively manage the complex health care needs of vulnerable populations. Health IT can assist in promoting patient self-management and self-empowerment through available cultural and linguistically appropriate patient information, improved communication with clinical staff, and support outreach efforts which lead to improved health outcomes and reduction in health disparities.

View the ACU Health IT Resource List here

Save the date for the 9th Annual National Health IT Week: September 15-19, 2014.
September 16, 2014

One Voice, One Vision: Join us in the 9th Year of Transforming Health Save the date for the 9th Annual National Health IT Week: September 15-19, 2014. Many of us may have encountered a medical situation where a family member or loved one’s life was saved by early detection, new drugs, or a new procedure. Contrary to these more obvious technological medical advances, health IT is quietly advancing medicine. Health IT—specifically electronic health records (EHRs)–improve the quality of … [Read more…]

EHR Incentive Programs: What’s New for Stage 1 in 2014
April 17, 2014

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has developed a new brochure on the EHR Incentive Programs, here is an updated version https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2019-medicare-electronic-health-record-ehr-incentive-program-payment-adjustment-fact-sheet-hospitals Beginning in 2014, there are several changes to the Stage1 Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs meaningful use objectives, measures, and exclusions for eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and … [Read more…]

Security and Privacy: Making the Budget Case
November 26, 2013

Mark your calendar for this free webinar on Funding Security and Privacy: Making the Case for Your Budget, Wednesday, December 4, 2013, 1 – 2 p.m. ET, offered by ACU and QiP Solutions.  Register here Have you been tasked with meeting HIPAA security and privacy requirements without an adequate budget?  For many smaller providers, clinics and hospitals, funding of security and privacy is not a priority • What information needs to be presented to business planners to ensure that smaller … [Read more…]

Replay: HIPAA HITECH Webinar Now Available
October 17, 2013

Becoming HIPAA HITECH Compliant – Identifying and Managing Privacy and Security Risks in Vulnerable Populations Click here to Listen to the Recorded Webinar Presenters: Anna Gard, FNP-BC, ACU Health IT and Quality Consultant Robert Zimmerman, Managing Director QiP Solutions, HIPAA HITECH EXPRESS™ Did you know: Approximately 90% of smaller providers, clinics and hospitals have not yet met Meaningful Use and HIPAA Security and Privacy Rule requirements? Greater use of … [Read more…]

Health Insurance Marketplace Launches
October 1, 2013

Beginning today — October 1 — uninsured people can shop online for health insurance. If they enroll by December 15, their coverage will begin on January 1, 2014. The Health Insurance Marketplace for consumer is one of the most significant provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Millions of currently uninsured people will gain access to affordable insurance, some of them with subsidies, through the marketplace. Information for consumers is available at healthcare.gov (English) or … [Read more…]

ACU Partners with HIPAA HITECH EXPRESS
September 18, 2013

NEWS RELEASE September 18, 2013 For more information: Robert Zimmerman (302) 604-8849, email rzimmerman@qipsolutions.com HIT Week Update:  ACU Partners with HIPAA HITECH EXPRESS on Solution for Safety Net Providers Healthcare providers are one lost-or-stolen laptop, tablet or smartphone away from a data-theft nightmare while facing increasingly stringent federal regulations that require health data security. The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) has partnered with QIP … [Read more…]

IT Resources for Safety Net Providers
September 16, 2013

ACU and HIMSS are collaborating to promote Health IT resources and workforce-training opportunities available to support medically underserved communities as part of National Health IT Week, which begins today and goes through September 20. In the joint fact sheet on Health IT Resources for Safety Net and Rural Health Care Communities (PDF) being released today, ACU and HIMSS have identified available resources to help safety net providers overcome the unique challenges they face, including … [Read more…]

Filed Under: Advocacy, Featured Bottom Right, Health IT

Health IT and Privacy
September 4, 2013

Raise Your Health Care Organization’s Security and Privacy Awareness… It’s the Law By Anna Gard, MSN, FNP-BC, ACU Health IT and Quality Consultant Summary: Is your organization taking measures to protect patient privacy as you adopt digital and mobile health technologies? Safety-net health care organizations experience greater vulnerabilities and higher risks for privacy and security breaches than other health organizations, most often because the risks are under-appreciated. Learn the 5 … [Read more…]

ACU Partners in National Health IT Week 2013
July 8, 2013

This September, ACU will partner to advance health information technology to help improve healthcare with approximately 200 public and private sector organizations to participating in the 8th Annual National Health IT Week (September 16-20, 2013).  National Health IT Week 2013 is the premier event offering all healthcare stakeholders an opportunity to unite under one banner, expressing the benefits that health information technology (IT) brings to U.S. healthcare. “One Voice, One … [Read more…]

Apply for a HIMSS Davies Award
June 17, 2013

Is your organization making strides in using health information technology (IT)  to improve patient care and outcomes? Consider apply for either the HIMSS Enterprise Davies Award (formerly Organization) or the HIMSS Ambulatory Davies Award. Both the awards and the application process have evolved. The application process is now based on submission of written case studies and applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. Get details and information on how to apply, why apply … [Read more…]

Podcast on Asthma and Health Information Technology
June 3, 2013

Anna Gard, Health IT and Quality Consultant, Association for Clinicians for the Underserved Introduces the Role of Health IT in Managing Asthma There is constant development of patient-centric tools to support asthma self-management and promote engagement with clinicians, patients and families to assist in identifying, reporting their asthma triggers, monitoring their asthma status, supporting self-care and management strategies. Some of these tools and technologies really help (A) engage … [Read more…]

2013 Health IT and the Underserved Conference
April 19, 2013

ACU hosted its first-ever conference on Health Information Technology (HIT) in March 2013. We are especially grateful to all the participants, presenters, sponsors and exhibitors for making it a success. Search Twitter for #acuHIT to learn what others were saying during the conference. Follow ACU on Twitter and Facebook to learn how you can harness the potential of HIT to enhance care for the underserved. Click the image at left to view the conference prospectus. Quick Links Award … [Read more…]

Health IT Resources
April 19, 2013

Resources Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Programs The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has a listserv that provides timely, authoritative information about the EHR incentive programs, including attestations,  incentive payments, and Meaningful use criteria and updates. Health IT Blogs Where to Learn More The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) – the healthcare industry’s membership organization exclusively focused on … [Read more…]

ACU’s Commitment to Health Information Technology (Health IT)
April 19, 2013

ACU believes that health information technology (health IT) is a vital tool in achieving the health care reform goals of increasing access, improving care delivery, engaging in culturally competent outreach and education, and enhancing workforce development and training. An electronic health record that includes documentation of demographics, including race and ethnicity, risk factor assessments, and evidence-based preventive and chronic disease management decision support, enables clinicians … [Read more…]

ACU Announces Health IT Award Winners
March 18, 2013

ACU’s first ever Health IT for the Underserved Awards showcased talent, innovation and perseverance on behalf of underserved communities. The awards were presented at the Health IT and the Underserved Conference held in Poughkeepsie, NY on March 7 – 8, 2013. Casey Davis was recognized with the User from the Field Award for developing a health education website with materials in American Sign Language for the deaf and hard of hearing community, www.DeafMD.org. Mary Zalasny, CEO of Finger … [Read more…]

Feedback on ACU Health IT Conference
March 18, 2013

Participants were enthusiastic about ACU’s conference on Health IT and the Underserved: Transform the Way You Think about Change, held in Poughkeepsie, NY, March 7 -8, and many left inspired with new ideas. Here’s what some of them had to say: Eric Brosius, Vice President of Technology Service, Hudson River Healthcare: “I have been very impressed with the breakout sessions … the privacy and security session yesterday was very interesting. It was extremely informative, and a lot of other … [Read more…]

Health Information Exchange Resources from the National Rural Health Resource Center
March 13, 2013

Health information exchanges (HIE) allow the electronic sharing of health-related information among organizations.  Exchanging information electronically is the basis for many efforts to improve health care quality and safety. The National Rural Health Resource Center, an exhibitor at ACU’s Health IT and the Underserved Conference, has a set of practical health information exchange (HIE) resources.  See HIE Toolkit. Here’s a list of individual tools and corresponding links: Forming or … [Read more…]

Using Big Data to Solve Autism and Other Mysteries
January 30, 2013

By Eugene Steuerle Summary: Many associate electronic health records (EHRs) with better transmission of information from one hospital, doctor, or other health care provider to the next. But for many of us, the real promise of EHRs is the potential for faster, more thorough, and more comprehensive public health research on the causes and possible cures for disease, malignancies, and chronic health conditions, outbreaks of new health problems, and local or regional stories of failure or success. … [Read more…]

Sponsor Opportunities: Health IT and the Underserved
January 25, 2013

The ACU HIT and the Underserved conference (Twitter #acuHIT) brings together leaders in government, the private sector, federally qualified healthcare centers, nonprofit organizations, and academia to harness the power of health IT for the underserved. Meaningful use requirements and incentives have created enormous interest and prompted huge investments in health IT systems. Sponsorship of the ACU HIT conference offers an excellent opportunity to make a positive and lasting impression on key … [Read more…]

Nursing Informatics Symposium
January 11, 2013

Scholarship for Registration Available Are you a nurse and using informatics to improve patient-centered care and outcomes? If so, consider attending the HIMSS13 Nursing Informatics Symposium in New Orleans March 2-3, 2013. You will hear from nurse leaders who are achieving quality outcomes using technology and informatics. Nurses engaged in the advancement, implementation and evaluation of technology-enabled quality care will share practical strategies. ACU Members: ACU is offering one … [Read more…]

Keynote Speakers for #acuHIT Announced
January 10, 2013

A trio of speakers from the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health Information Technology will serve as keynote speakers at the ACU Health IT and the Underserved Conference March 7 – 8, 2013 in Poughkeepsie, NY, about 80 miles north of New York City. Kevin Larsen, Medical Director of Meaningful Use, David Hunt, Chief Medical Officer and Acting Director of the Office of Health IT Adoption, and Joy Pritts, Chief Privacy Officer, all from the Office of the National Coordinator, will … [Read more…]

Michelle Lamb, Pharm.D., CDE, BCACP
December 10, 2012

Clinical pharmacist Michelle Lamb, Pharm.D., CDE, BCACP, takes pride in being part of a transdisciplinary health care team. She combines high tech (health IT is an important tool in enhancing patient care) with and high touch, delivering information tailored to the patient’s culture and literacy level. … [Read more…]

New Smartphone App on Tobacco Cessation
November 15, 2012

ACU has launched a new smartphone app that helps clinicians talk to patients about tobacco use. The app includes a six brief questions that clinicians can ask patients to measure their nicotine dependence. Release of the app coincides with the annual Great American Smokeout, a day when Americans are encouraged to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. The ACU Low Health Literacy Nicotine Addition Test scores the patient’s responses to the six questions and … [Read more…]

mHealth Apps: Beware of Snake Oil
November 13, 2012

By Anna M. Gard, FNP-BC With 247 million mobile phone users worldwide expected to download a health app in 2012, mHealth needs a watchdog, akin to Consumer Reports for apps, to “out” the hucksters making false and potentially harmful health claims. This Washington Post Report highlights the worst medical apps, those making false and potentially harmful claims.  The FDA recently released guidelines on mHealth technologies in effort to balance the potential for innovation with patient … [Read more…]

Register Now!
October 16, 2012

Register today! Conference Overview Health Information Technology (HIT) in its many forms has the power to vastly improve health outcomes for the underserved, but many health care organizations are in the earliest stages of adopting these technologies. This conference is intended for front line clinicians, to provide you with an opportunity for dialogue and networking with  national and regional leaders and your colleagues to better harness the potential of HIT for the underserved. NETWORK  … [Read more…]

Adolescents and Stage 2 Meaningful Use
September 11, 2012

Clinicians struggle with the complex challenge of maintaining an accurate electronic medical record when a parent has authority to access their adolescent child’s record. Could increasing patient engagement with Stage 2 Meaningful Use create regulatory challenges in HIPPA privacy rules and electronic health records (EHRs) for the adolescent patient population? In 2001, the Institute of Medicine report Crossing the Quality Chasm emphasized the importance of patients having access to their … [Read more…]

ACU a Partner in National Health IT Week
September 10, 2012

This September, the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) is joining approximately 200 public and private sector organizations to participate in the 7th Annual National Health IT Week (September 10-14, 2012).  National Health IT Week 2012 is the premier event offering all healthcare stakeholders an opportunity to unite under one banner, expressing the benefits that health information technology (HIT) brings to U.S. healthcare. “One Voice, One Vision.” On Thursday, September 13, … [Read more…]

JHCPU Special Issue on Quality Improvement
September 5, 2012

Evidence for Informing the Next Generation of Quality Improvement Initiatives: Models, Methods, Measures, and Outcomes, the August 2012 special supplement to the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved (JHCPU), includes quality improvement initiatives from across the safety net.  Among the topics addressed are promoting healthy weight, cancer screening and follow-up, HIV care, medication use, urban health, depression, early childhood caries, diabetes, asthma, and more.  View the full … [Read more…]

mHealth Technology and the Underserved
August 30, 2012

Tom Martin, author of the ACU Column Assessing mHealth Opportunities and Barriers to Patient Engagement [PDF] published in the August 2012 Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, offered his thoughts on the use of mobile healthcare (mHealth) technologies in caring for the underserved.  Martin is a manager at mHIMSS and a doctoral student in public policy at the University of Delaware. Q. In the article, you say that text messaging is a popular example of mhealth technology. Can … [Read more…]

Deadline Sept. 12 — Call for Presentations and Posters on Health IT and the Underserved
August 19, 2012

New Deadline: Wednesday, September 12, 2012. ACU invites interested presenters to submit abstracts for workshops and posters for its first conference on Health IT for the Underserved to be held on March 7-8 at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel in Poughkeepsie, NY. Presentations are sought on the use of health IT to improve patient care and outcomes, including:  health technology tools, workforce training, patient engagement, team-based technology, patient-centered medical homes (PCMH) and meaningful … [Read more…]

Featured Mobile Apps
July 30, 2012

Mobile apps are nifty tools for cell phones and other wireless devices that help users manage their health. This month’s featured mobile app, UMSkinCheck,  is designed to facilitate regular skin checks for cancer screening. UMSkinCheck was developed at the University of Michigan in a joint effort involving clinical and technology experts. It is available for iPhones and iPads and downloadable from iTunes. Read more about it here. Tell us if you know of a mobile app that would be of interest to … [Read more…]

HIT and the Underserved Conference
July 11, 2012

Save the Date! Health information technology in its many forms has the power to vastly improve health outcomes for the underserved, but many health care organizations are in the earliest stages of adopting these technologies. At this conference, you will hear from national health IT leaders about harnessing the potential of health IT for  the underserved. The conference will be co-chaired by Katherine Brieger, Executive Director of the Hudson River HealthCare Planetree Institute, Virna … [Read more…]

Bridging the Disparities Gap with Mobile Technology
June 22, 2012

MHealth provides vital tools to support the goals of health care reform to increase health care access, improve care delivery systems, engage in culturally competent outreach and education with technology that is easy to use, affordable and scalable, and is already adopted by patients of all ages and socioeconomic status. Mobile health technology (mHealth) is changing the way the world approaches health care access and delivery. Text messaging is used to support patient adherence with chronic … [Read more…]

Resources to Help with E-Prescribing
June 20, 2012

Are you considering an e-prescribing system? Check out this helpful guidance from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), including two toolsets, one for health care provider organizations, including safety net clinics, and the other for independent pharmacies. The toolsets offer advice on planning and getting started, troubleshooting common problems, and navigating more advanced practice and pharmacy services. Available on the AHRQ Implementation Toolsets for E-Prescribing … [Read more…]

Congratulations to these ACU staff!
April 26, 2012

Anna Gard, FNP, was awarded a scholarship to attend the George Washington School of Public Health “Health Information Technology for Clinician Leaders” graduate certificate program. She will begin this yearlong program in May to support her work in facilitating the implementation of health information technology in public health care organizations to improve population health outcomes. Lois Wessel, CFNP,  co-authored an article published in the Journal of Family Practice on simple strategies … [Read more…]

Scholarship Winner
April 1, 2012

Lynn Evans, a family nurse practitioner at Cabot Westside Health Center, in Kansas City, MO, saw an opportunity and took advantage of it. She responded to an invitation in this newsletter, applied, and was selected to receive a scholarship to attend a nursing informatics conference in Las Vegas in February. Lynn says her clinic implemented an electronic medical record more than a year ago. However, despite begin identified as a “super user” she hadn’t received any additional training or updates. … [Read more…]