Since 2010, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, along with the Health Resources and Services Administration's Office of Rural Health Policy, have led multi-department efforts to improve rural health by fostering the adoption and use of health IT in rural communities.
The initiative has included:
- Increasing funding for rural health IT adoption. In 2011, ONC and ORHP signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to make the agency's grants and loans available to rural healthcare providers for IT acquisition. Initially linked to USDA's Community Facilities grant and loan programs, in 2013 the effort was expanded to include all Rural Development funding and assistance programs, with pilots running in five states. The program is being scaled nationally this upcoming year.
- Improving care coordination for rural veterans. Through a partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs, ONC and ORHP were able to award almost $1 million to three states to use health information exchanges to improve care coordination for veterans. Additionally, ONC launched several pilot projects giving veterans access to their health information through Blue Button technology, and making their records more easily shared between the VA and local clinics and hospitals.
- Promoting rural IT workforce development. ONC's Health IT Workforce Development programs were expanded to rural communities, supported by a $4 million grant from ORHP. Now, 15 Rural Health IT Training Networks are developing a three-year program to then be shared with rural community and technical colleges nationwide.
- Expanding rural broadband access. ONC and ORHP have partnered with the Federal Communications Commission to expand connectivity programs to rural providers, helping to ensure they have the bandwidth to support health IT activities, such as telehealth and HIEs.
- Extending toolkits and assistance to rural providers. Both ONC and HRSA have online toolkits and resources aimed specifically at rural healthcare providers. Additionally, ONC dedicated $30 million to the Regional Extension Center program, and ORHP has announced a $12 million Rural Health IT Network Development grant program to help offset the costs of IT acquisitions for rural providers.
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