The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) within the Department of Health and Human Services is
the principal federal entity working to improve health care quality, safety and efficiency through the promotion of Health Information Technology
and electronic health information exchange. ONC established and oversees the HIT Extension Program, which sponsors the Regional Extension Centers.
As a federally-designated “Regional Extension Center (REC)," the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers Program (NC AHEC), provides individualized,
on-site electronic health record (EHR) consulting tailored practice’s specific needs at no additional charge.
Consultants from the Greensboro AHEC can help practices:
Prepare for an EHR by assessing and redesigning office systems.
Assist with the evaluation and selection of a certified EHR that offers the best value a particular practice.
Identify and enhance workflows within a practice.
Successfully implement a certified EHR.
Achieve state and federal standards to qualify for “meaningful use” of EHR incentive payments.
Use the EHR as a tool to help improve care and satisfaction of the physicians, staff and patients.
What to expect from the Regional Extension Center (REC)
In eligible practices, an AHEC Consultant with EHR expertise is assigned to a practice. Through all steps of EHR preparation, selection
and implementation, the AHEC Consultant, at no charge works onsite to:
Assess a practice’s EHR needs.
Explore how different EHR systems and features may affect a practice to better understand implications of selecting an EHR and system features.
Prepare for the transition to electronic records evaluating a practice’s current workflows and adapting them as needed.
Evaluate and select the certified EHR system that meet a practice’s needs and are equipped to help that practice meet requirements of EHR “meaningful use.”
Understand the vendor’s requirements for implementing the system they select.
Establish and follow an EHR implementation plan to help meet target “go live” dates, avoid common challenges and minimize disruptions.
Set reasonable expectations for a practice and the staff as they transition to using an EHR system.
Evaluate and adjust new processes within a practice and support implementation of the EHR system.
Analyze a practice’s readiness to apply for HITECH Act “Meaningful Use” Incentive Payments
