MeHI Awards Nearly $1 Million to Fifteen Long-Term Post-Acute Care

WESTBOROUGH, MA – October 22, 2015 – MeHI, the Massachusetts eHealth Institute at MassTech, has announced the first round of long-term and post-acute care (LTPAC) grantees from the eQuality Incentive Program (eQIP). MeHI awarded nearly $1 million in grants to 15 post-acute care organizations that oversee 44 facilities and 6,110 patient beds across Massachusetts*. Under the eQIP program, MeHI’s funds will help these Massachusetts facilities invest in innovative health information technologies to improve patient care through enhanced care coordination and efficient care transitions.

“Increased use of health IT means improved provider communication, which should lead to better integration between providers and, ultimately, enhanced patient care,” stated Laurance Stuntz, Director of MeHI. “Not only will these investments help protect patient safety, they will also allow LTPAC organizations to participate in Accountable Care Organizations and other strategic partnerships that will help streamline care, reduce unnecessary costs, and revolutionize health care delivery across Massachusetts.”

The eQIP program is designed to support eligible Behavioral Health and LTPAC organizations in the adoption and effective use of interoperable EHRs. The program awards grants to assist providers through an eHealth maturity cycle. By participating in this program, organizations can advance their use of Health IT and connect to the statewide Health Information Exchange (HIE), the Mass HIway.

The grants will help support LTPAC patients in nearly every region of Massachusetts, ranging from Cape Cod to Western Massachusetts. Eligible organizations were awarded eQIP grants of varying amounts based on the number of Department of Public Health-licensed beds they manage in the Commonwealth, ranging from small organizations (60 beds or less), to medium (61 to 160 beds), large (161 to 300 beds), and very large (300 or more beds).

The following LTPAC organizations received a total of $940,500 in grants under MeHI’s eQIP program to support the implementation of electronic health records at their Massachusetts long-term care facilities:

In April 2015, MeHI awarded eQIP program grants to 18 Massachusetts behavioral healthcare organizations which provide direct care to patients managing mental health or substance abuse issues. Those selected behavioral health organizations will also receive payments upon reaching select milestones that demonstrate increasingly advanced use of health IT systems, with grants potentially totaling $973,500 to the 18 providers. 

The eQIP grants are funded via key investments made by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts through Chapter 224 of the Acts of 2012, also known as the Massachusetts healthcare cost containment law.

Included below are reactions from several of the grantees:

"The Coleman House is delighted to be a recipient of this grant. We can now move forward with our goal of having a fully functioning electronic health record that will have the capability of following our residents where ever they receive care."

- Patrick Blake, Executive Director, The Coleman House

"Holy Trinity is thankful and appreciative to receive this grant funding! As a stand-alone not for profit facility, we will utilize this grant money to further improve communication in a more efficient way resulting in even better patient health outcomes."

- Pauline Fleury, Quality Improvement, Holy Trinity

“The Sterling Village team is honored to have been chosen as a recipient of the eQuality Incentive Program grant, and we are very excited to move forward with the adoption and use of interoperable electronic health records. This advancement will allow us to significantly enhance care coordination both within the framework of our 143 bed skilled nursing facility, as well as with our care partners across the continuum.”

         - Christine Pignatiello, MHA, RN, BSN, NHA, Executive Director, Sterling Village, LLC

“With the support of MeHI, Chelsea Jewish Foundation will be able to leverage the latest technological innovations to provide the highest quality, evidence-based care to our residents and patients.”

          - Adam Berman, President, Chelsea Jewish Foundation

"The Boston Home is grateful for the MeHI grant award because it will support a fully integrated electronic information exchange. As a result, we will be able to collect and share clinical information on the specialized population we serve, 96 adults with advanced, progressive neurological diseases. Distinct EHR applications will provide a rich resource of complex care data that has been collected over many years so clinicians can improve quality of care for the patients.”

           - Marva Serotkin, President & CEO, The Boston Home

“Saint Patrick’s Manor has been fortunate in that we have been able to implement and recognize the benefits of adopting many aspects of an electronic medical record to date. Improved quality of care and enhanced communications are among the many changes in performance we have come to appreciate. We are grateful for the MeHI grant because it has been difficult to advance our EMR to the next level due to the cost of technology and healthcare reform. With these newer systems, we will be able to communicate crucial and timely resident information with other healthcare providers leading to improved care and reduced costs for the Commonwealth. “

            - Joshua Hammond MBA, RD, LNHA, Assistant Administrator, Saint Patrick’s Manor    

"Sancta Maria Nursing Facility is extremely pleased to have been awarded a grant from MeHI.  As a provider of short term rehab and long term care, these funds will allow us to expand upon our existing capabilities through the enhanced and innovative use of health information technology to improve care transitions. I commend MeHI for recognizing the vital role of long term and post-acute care facilities in the health care continuum, through this generous grant initiative."

            - Mary Jane Nottonson, Administrator, Sancta Maria Nursing Facility

“Berkshire Healthcare is very grateful to be included among those receiving funds through MeHI. This assistance will be tremendously helpful in our efforts to advance patient safety and system efficiency. It takes us from our current state to our future state, furthering our work with clinical partners across the state. Berkshire, with affiliates from the Berkshires to Cape Cod, the North Shore to the South Coast, will work with our partners to create an EHR that will be a model for others.”

            - Kenneth Ward, Senior IT Director, Berkshire Healthcare.

*Note as of Dec. 2015 there will be only 14 post-acute care organizations enrolled in the grant program. Updated statistics can be found on the eQIP for LTPAC program webpage.

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