The government's efforts to stimulate wider adoption of electronic health records and other health IT do not stop at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services incentives program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced a new grant program to help fund the use of innovative systems in rural areas.
The program will provide $34.7 million in grants. It will fund 106 projects in 38 states. These initiatives are all aimed at helping educate providers about the benefits of electronic health and how they are used and making the technology more attainable to practices that have limited resources.
For example, an Oklahoma program is helping a network of care providers update their technology and start using teleconferencing tools. This will give patients in rural areas access to specialists in other parts of the state that may be out of driving range.
"Too many rural areas cannot take full advantage of the opportunities afforded by broadband for improved education and health care. These funds will help communities enhance their educational and training programs and deliver improved health care services for their residents," said Tom Vilsack, head of the USDA.