Rural Health

Portrait of Dr. Vindell Washington

Moving Interoperability Forward by Engaging Small, Rural, and Critical Access Hospitals

Dr. Vindell Washington | July 27, 2016

As I announced at our recent Annual Meeting, hospitals across the country continue to make progress toward the goal of ensuring that health information flows where it is needed the most. Today, almost all U.S. non-federal acute care hospitals have certified electronic health record (EHR) technology and 82 percent are electronically exchanging laboratory results, radiology reports, clinical care summaries, or medication lists with ambulatory care providers or hospitals outside their organization – double the percentage from 2008.

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Portrait of Dr. Karen B. DeSalvo

$1 Billion Invested in Rural Health Care Across 13 States

Dr. Karen B. DeSalvo | May 4, 2015

In late 2011, the President announced a White House Rural Council initiative lead by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to invest in rural health and link rural doctors and hospitals to financing for health IT. The initiative was designed to address the need for financing to support the adoption of health IT systems in rural communities.  Financing has been cited as one of the top challenges for rural doctors and hospitals serving remote and poor communities.

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Portrait of Brett Coughlin

ONC is helping veterans access their electronic health records

Brett Coughlin | April 17, 2014

Go where they are.
In this case, “they” represents rural veterans and Medicare patients. On their way to meet them is a group of Federal partners – including ONC, telecommunication companies – known in industry parlance as “telecos” — and other stakeholders who are pushing to bring broadband to the heartland.

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