IHS to spend $85M of stimulus on health IT
The Indian Health Service (IHS) is set to release $500 million of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, including $85 million for IT enhancements in facilities throughout the U.S. that serve Native American and Alaska Native communities.
The ARRA includes five IHS project areas:
IHS is designating $85 million of ARRA funding to modernize and extend electronic health IT used by IHS, tribal and urban Indian health programs to improve healthcare quality, reduce medical errors and modernize administrative functions. IHS said that 20 percent of the funds will be used to buy new hardware and upgrade network services. Additional software and related services will be procured through appropriate contract vehicles for use at IHS, tribal and urban Indian health programs.
It will also use the money to purchase more than 200 pieces of medical equipment, including 35 ambulances and 10 CT scanners. Other equipment to be purchased includes cardiac monitoring equipment, equipment for integration of EHRs, blood chemistry analyzers, dental equipment, emergency defibrillators and x-ray systems, among other items.
Network infrastructure improvements will protect patient data, increase access to services, improve network quality, and allow provision of telehealth services, according to the organization.
The IHS provides comprehensive healthcare services to nearly two million Native Americans and Alaska Natives, who are members of 562 federally recognized Tribes. Direct healthcare services are administered through a nation-wide system of 12 Area offices and 161 IHS and tribally managed service units. Overall, more than 50 percent of the IHS budget authority appropriation is administered by tribes, primarily through self-determination contracts or self-governance compacts.
The ARRA includes five IHS project areas:
- $227 million for health facilities construction;
- $100 million for maintenance and improvements;
- $85 million for health IT;
- $68 million for sanitation facilities construction; and
- $20 million for health equipment that will help improve healthcare.
IHS is designating $85 million of ARRA funding to modernize and extend electronic health IT used by IHS, tribal and urban Indian health programs to improve healthcare quality, reduce medical errors and modernize administrative functions. IHS said that 20 percent of the funds will be used to buy new hardware and upgrade network services. Additional software and related services will be procured through appropriate contract vehicles for use at IHS, tribal and urban Indian health programs.
It will also use the money to purchase more than 200 pieces of medical equipment, including 35 ambulances and 10 CT scanners. Other equipment to be purchased includes cardiac monitoring equipment, equipment for integration of EHRs, blood chemistry analyzers, dental equipment, emergency defibrillators and x-ray systems, among other items.
Network infrastructure improvements will protect patient data, increase access to services, improve network quality, and allow provision of telehealth services, according to the organization.
The IHS provides comprehensive healthcare services to nearly two million Native Americans and Alaska Natives, who are members of 562 federally recognized Tribes. Direct healthcare services are administered through a nation-wide system of 12 Area offices and 161 IHS and tribally managed service units. Overall, more than 50 percent of the IHS budget authority appropriation is administered by tribes, primarily through self-determination contracts or self-governance compacts.