A group of Virginia-based healthcare executives, pharmacists and other stakeholders has launched a new Web site to push the commonwealth toward e-prescribing.
CommonwealthRx, which was launched earlier this year to increase the volume of e-prescribing in Virginia, rolled out its new Web site at the annual meeting of the Virginia Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.
“Creating a more robust e-prescription climate is an important step in driving broader adoption and meaningful use of health information technology,” said the group's chairman, Michael Matthews, who's also the CEO of MedVirginia.
CommonwealthRx officials said the initiative will include a statewide steering committee and advisory council, as well as a structure to support the meaningful use of secure e-prescribing and ongoing support to prescribers seeking federal incentive funding and avoiding penalties for not adopting the technology.
CommonwealthRx plans to work with state organizations to leverage healthcare IT stimulus funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) for training and installation of electronic health record systems that include e-prescribing.
“Electronic prescribing is a proven and effective means of enhancing healthcare outcomes, while reducing healthcare costs and avoidable medical errors," said Marilyn Tavenner, Virginia's secretary of health and human resources. "This collaboration between major healthcare stakeholders is an early example of our effort to provide Virginia physicians with the tools necessary to successfully adopt and utilize health information technology."
CommonwealthRx officials said the group's goal is to move Virginia into the “Top 10 in 2010” with regard to the percentage of e-prescriptions submitted.
Steering Committee members are:
- John Beckner, director of pharmacy services for Ukrops;
- Kate Berry, senior vice president of Surescripts;
- Jeff Buthe, senior policy analyst for the Medical Society of Virginia;
- Doug Gray, executive director for the Virginia Association of Health Plans;
- Laura E. Joyner, president-elect of the Virginia Medical Group Management Association and COO of Lakeview Medical Center;
- Colin Konschak, immediate past president of the Virginia chapter of the Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS);
- Michael Matthews, CEO of MedVirginia;
- Tim Musselman, executive director of the Virginia Pharmacists Association;
- Dev Nair, director of clinical review services for the Virginia Health Quality Center;
- Jeff Odell, CommonwealthRx's acting executive director;
- Faiz Oley, of the Westbury Pharmacy;
- Bryan Tomlinson, director of theHealth Care Services Division of the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services; and
- Alan Wynn, MD, of Primary Care Associates of Potomac, representing the Medical Society of Virginia.
