Durbin Announces over $34 Million in Recovery Act Funding to Improve Quality and Efficiency of Health Care in Illinois
?[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded a total of $34,033,172 in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to two Illinois universities and the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services to improve the quality and efficiency of health care in Illinois by allowing health providers to securely share and access vital health information electronically.
“Because they can be shared instantaneously with multiple doctors and can be transmitted hundreds of miles in seconds, electronic health records are an effective tool for improving the quality of health care and saving lives,” said Durbin. “Today’s Recovery Act funding will help achieve President Obama’s goal of adopting a nationwide health information technology infrastructure.”
This funding is a portion of the $750 million announced nationwide for the implementation of health information technology which can include electronic health records and other technologies that electronically protect and share health care information. Of this funding, $386 million was distributed to 40 states to facilitate Health Information Exchange. The remaining $375 million was distributed to 32 non-profit organizations to support the development of regional extension centers which are expected to provide outreach and support services to at least 100,000 primary care providers and hospitals within two years.
The following entities will receive funding:
- Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services: $18,837,639 in funding to develop a statewide Health Information Exchange (HIE) which will allow Illinois’ healthcare providers to electronically share health information.
- Northern Illinois University: $7,546,000 in funding to support the development of a Regional Extension Center that will aid health professionals as they work to implement and use health information technology.
- Northwestern University: $7,649,533 in funding to support the development of a Regional Extension Center that will aid health professionals as they work to implement and use health information technology