ONC's Office of the Chief Privacy Officer (OCPO) recently released a "Guide to Privacy and Security of Health Information,"* an instructional guide designed to help healthcare practitioners, staff, and other professionals better understand the important role privacy and security play in the use of electronic health records (EHRs) and Meaningful Use. Read more »

Patient Centered Medical Home: Leading to the Future

May 12 - St. Luke's Hospital Emerson Auditorium, 224 S. Woods Mill Road, Chesterfield, MO
May 19 - National WWI Museum Auditorium, 100 West 26 Street, Kansas City, MO
Both sessions will be 8 am - 12 pm. Read more »

Phoenix Cardiac Surgery, P.C., of Phoenix and Prescott, Arizona, has agreed to pay the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) a $100,000 settlement and take corrective action to implement policies and procedures to safeguard the protected health information of its patients.

The settlement with the physician practice follows an extensive investigation by the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) for potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules. Read more »

April 19, 2012 - Health care providers have heard EHR horror stories and that is why so many fear the dreaded implementation stage of an EHR. But over the past year, providers who develop and follow a plan, and take advantage of the new resources and support to ease their EHR transition are finding the implementation process to be much better than they expected. Read more »

April 11, 2012 - In less than one year, health care providers nationwide have been adopting and achieving meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs) and have received over $3.8 billion in Medicare or Medicaid EHR incentives, and nearly $80 million of that money has been collected by Missouri providers, alone. If you are not one of those providers, but would like to also take advantage of the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs, there is no better time like the present to begin that process. Read more »

This case study examines Patients First Health Care's approach to implementing a patient portal and engaging with "patients as partners," a philosophical underpinning of the practice.

April 5, 2012 - Health care providers across the nation are now able to review the proposed Stage 2 meaningful use criteria from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and learn how it will impact them as the meaningful use of electronic health records moves ahead. More importantly, the public comment period is open until May 7, 2012, and now is the time for providers to fully understand this future stage, reflect on this proposed rule, and make public comment on it. Read more »

March 27, 2012 - You've found an electronic health record (EHR) you like and that fits the needs of your practice, now you're ready to buy. Before you sign on the dotted line, make sure you're getting exactly what you need and with terms you understand and like. Margalit Gur-Arie sits down with providers at noon on Thursday, April 19th to go over those little details that can conveniently get lost in jargon and small print, but resurface later as big problems that can cost you more money. Read more »

March 16, 2012 - As part of a nationwide transformation to an electronically enabled health care system, the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program has issued millions in incentive payments to eligible health care providers, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). These clinicians are working to improve patient care through meaningful use of EHRs. Read more »

NEW TIME! 5:00-6:00 p.m. Read more »