M-CEITA is Michigan’s Information Technology Regional Extension Center. Its mission is to “provide education, outreach and technical assistance to improve the quality and value of healthcare delivery in the state of Michigan.”
M-CEITA was awarded funding to support 3,723 Michigan healthcare providers and now has achieved full enrollment of 3,724 providers. This REC acknowledges providers are frequently at a disadvantage when integrating an electronic health record system into their practice.
[Related Commentary: Why RECs and HIEs need each other.]
Further, the REC staff understands that most providers are not experts in system selection, clinical IT integration or contract negotiation, and thus, need an ally during their transition to meaningful use.
M-CEITA, as a regional extension center, was created to respond to these issues and offers the resources and expertise providers need to select an EHR, implement it efficiently and qualify for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program.
Following are comments from Matt Monroe, MPH, M-CEITA Special Projects Coordinator at Altarum Institute, who discusses:
- what makes M-CEITA different;
- marketing activities for enrollment;
- appropriate resources to advance the REC’s mission; and
- efforts to maintain a relationship with providers post-meaningful use achievement.
Michigan is unique in that most physicians are members of physician organizations already working toward a Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH). This has required a high level of collaboration with the physician organizations, physician health organizations, payers and other stakeholders to sign up providers and coordinate our services with existing health IT initiatives. M-CEITA is also a well-rounded REC with a broad base of knowledge and experience.
[Related: What HIE needs to mature -- regional critical mass.]
We are teaming up with Michigan’s Quality Improvement organization (MPRO), work closely with the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH), and are supported, in part, by Altarum Institute. Altarum is a non-profit (organization) at the forefront of health systems research and has also developed several statewide health IT programs, including the Michigan Care Improvement Registry, Michigan Disease Surveillance System and Michigan Syndromic Surveillance System. Michigan is also diverse geographically with a mix of large rural and large urban areas.
At M-CEITA, we have:
- created an extensive training program for our staff that encompasses all aspects of the implementation process;
- developed new tools for this process, including a vendor selection scorecard that evaluates across three domains: price, functionality and risk; and
- plan to set up an online community that our providers can participate in.
In order to continually improve our program, we ask providers who work with us to complete an evaluation to rate their experiences with us and whether they are interested in future pilot programs with the REC.”
[Also: The 5 roadblocks HIEs face. Q&A: On the trials and tribulations of unlocking patient data.]
M-CEITA is working diligently to help providers reach meaningful use. They have a comprehensive program that has the providers’ interests in the forefront. Their working relationship with many organizations with the same goal of implementation has proven to be successful as they are on route to meet their enrollment criteria. It is clear that they have met the challenge of creating an atmosphere where teamwork and camaraderie between service and provider needs are synchronized.
