What's Happening in Health IT

In This Issue

Today we hope everyone has been safe in the wake of many of the storms that have covered the nation. On a happier note, we are looking forward to everything the rest of the summer will bring, including picnics, vacations and health IT – along with a handful of deadlines and webinars next week.

Tuesday is the deadline for you to submit your applications for consideration to be an Objective Reviewer for the Community Interoperability and Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program. If you are interested, send your resume/CV, including a working e-mail address and phone number, to ONC_ObjectiveReview@hhs.gov by 5:00 p.m (EDT).

June 30 is also the deadline for you to comment on the 2015 Edition Draft Test Procedures.

Then, Wednesday, July 1, 2015 is the last day you can apply for a hardship exception if you were unable to participate in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program in 2014. The hardship exception application instructions and application forms for an individual and for multiple Medicare eligible professionals are available on CMS’ EHR Incentive Programs website. You can also learn about the specific types of circumstances that CMS considers barriers to achieving meaningful use.

SDC/DAF Projects Webinar

On Monday, June 29th, we will be hosting a free webinar that will include a short overview of the Structured Data Capture (SDC), Data Access Framework (DAF) Projects and the clinical research project opportunities offered by these important initiatives. The SDC project will enable the use of common data elements (CDEs) for use in clinical research and public health. The DAF project enables the query of EHRs for clinical research and public health purposes. Please join us on Monday June 29th from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (EDT) as we discuss the pilot opportunities available within each initiative. Register today!

Broadband Grants, Loans and Subsidies for Rural Hospitals Webinar

Do you run a rural hospital in New England and need help with broadband? How about adoption of health IT? We’ve got the webinar for you! Join our own Rural Health IT Coordinator Leila Samy and Peter Wright, president & CEO of Valley Regional Healthcare in New Hampshire on June 30. The free webinar will help identify federal resources to help your hospital get up and running with broadband and is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (EDT), so mark your calendars and sign up now!

APP Factory Call for Proposals

The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Technologies (Wireless RERC), a program funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, part of the Administration for Community Living, invites experienced developers based in the U.S. to submit proposals for the App Factory. These proposals should help to develop assistive and/or accessibility apps for mobile platforms (e.g., Android, Blackberry 10, iOS, Windows Phone). In case you were wondering about any successed from this program, you should check out AccessNote by the American Foundation for the Blind; BrailleTouch by BrailleTech, LLC; Smart Steps by Smart Steps, LLC; ZyroSky by Zyrobotics; and IDEAL Group Reader by Apps4Android – all supported by the Wireless RERC program. Proposals are due by June 30th (PDF).

Open Invitation to Submit Health IT Test Tools or Procedures

Don’t forget that we published a notice in the Federal Register restated our continued investment in working with the health IT industry towards a more streamlined health IT testing and certification program. This notice addressed a flexibility included in the ONC Health IT Certification Program - specifically the National Coordinator’s ability to approve test procedures, test tools, and test data developed by non-governmental entities. Please take part in this open opportunity!

Health IT-eEnabled Clinical Quality Improvement Tools for Providers

Providers and those individuals and organizations involved in electronic clinical quality improvement (eCQI) activities are encouraged to visit ONC’s new online resources to learn:

What clinical decision support (CDS) is and how it plays a vital role in health care delivery improvement and practice transformation
Why we measure care processes and outcomes
How to begin planning and implementing improved care processes by using step by step processes -- and tools available for download at no cost to providers
Where to get additional information on using interoperable health IT to improve health and care

Federal Advisory Committee Schedule Week of June 29

Monday

1:00 p.m.: The Health IT Standards (#HITSC) Interoperability Standards Advisory Task Force meets.View the agenda here

Tuesday

9:30 a.m.: The Health IT Policy Committee (#HITPC) meets virtually. The agenda and other information is here.

3:00 p.m.: The #HITSC Implementation, Certification and Testing Workgroup meets. Find out more here.