The new State Employees’ Health Plan (SHP) NC HealthSmart Program was among four quality-related updates presented to the NCMS Quality of Care and Performance Improvement Committee on August 7, 2009 at the NCMS office in Raleigh, NC.
Presentations included:
- NC HealthSmart: Promoting Optimal Health and Wellness for SHP Members, by Derek Prentice, MD, Consulting Medical Director, and Anne B. Rogers, RN, BSN, MPH, Director of IHM;
- Clinical Insights Program, by Mary Jane McCracken, RN;
- North Carolina BTE Collaborative, by George Chedraoui, Bridges to Excellence Consultant; and
- In the Thick of ARRA & HITECH: “It’s Only Just Begun,” by Sam Spicer, MD, CMO, New Hanover Regional Medical Center, President, NCHICA.
In discussing the use of federal stimulus money to develop HIT in North Carolina, committee members expressed concerns about the cost of purchasing and installing an EHR system, especially before the federal HHS Secretary determines what constitutes the use of certified EHR technology in a meaningful manner. Physicians can learn more by attending a CME session, Dispelling the Horrors of HIT, 3:00 – 5:00 pm, on Saturday, October 31, 2009, during the NCMS Annual Meeting in Raleigh.
A recent study conducted by the Medical Group Management Association found that choosing and implementing an EHR is among the top concerns of medical group practices around the country. Among other concerns were operating costs rising faster than revenue and maintaining physician compensation while reimbursement rates decline. Survey results are available at http://www.mgma.com/default.aspx?id=19810.