Cincinnati’s HealthBridge gets $14M from feds for health IT

Nonprofit health information exchange HealthBridge has received $13.8 million in federal funding to help area health providers better utilize information technology.

The money comes from the $787 billion American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, better known as the stimulus bill, from early 2009, according to a statement from Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. About $22 billion of that amount is slated to go towards helping physicians adopt electronic medical records.

Brown said the adoption of information technology by health providers would reduce costs and medical errors, particularly in rural areas.

The funding comes along with the designation of Cincinnati as a “Beacon Community,” meaning that it’s part of a health IT pilot program run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The 17 Beacon Communities will receive an aggregate of about $250 million to boost IT use among local health providers.

HealthBridge provides technology to connect 29 Cincinnati-area hospitals, 17 health departments, more than 4,400 physicians and a number of nursing homes, clinics and physician offices. The group’s technology allows for easier sharing of patient data such as records and test results.

Health systems that are part of HealthBridge’s network include: Mercy Health Partners, St. Elizabeth Healthcare, the Health Alliance, Christ Hospital, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, TriHealth, Deaconess Hospital, McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital, Adams County Hospital and Margaret Mary Community Hospital.