(Washington, D.C.) – Today,
U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell applauded the selection of
Spokane’s Inland Northwest Health Services as a pilot community for health
information technology implementation. The $15 million grant from the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services will allow Inland Northwest to focus on
increasing preventive services for diabetic patients in rural areas by
extending Health Information Exchange and establishing anchor institutions in
close proximity to remote clinics.
“This investment in health information technology will help Spokane-area
doctors reduce waste, cut costs, and provide better care to their
diabetic patients,” said Senator Patty Murray. “Building health
information exchanges will reduce health care costs by eliminating the need to
repeat tests, and it will save lives by helping doctors reduce the number of
medical errors. This is especially important for families in rural communities
who can’t afford to spend hours travelling to repeat tests, and who deserve to
have their medical records wherever they are.”
“Inland Northwest Health
Services has long been a leader in health information technology, and its
innovative health services are absolutely critical to serving our rural
communities,” Senator Maria Cantwell said. “This federal grant
recognizes and helps advance our state’s efforts to fully integrate
cutting-edge technology into the health care services we deliver, cutting costs
and leading to a better outcome for the patient.”
The $15 million Recovery
Act grant was one of 15 awards made across the country by the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services through their Beacon Communities program. Selected
Beacon Communities will use health IT resources
within their community as a foundation for bringing doctors, hospitals,
community health programs, federal programs and patients together to design new
ways of improving quality and efficiency to benefit patients and
taxpayers.
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