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What is the purpose of this grant program?
Who are eligible recipients of these grants?
What is a Qualified State-Designated Entity (QSDE)?
From what appropriation will the funding for this grant program
come?
What amount of funding will be available for this grant program?
When will this funding become available and grant applications be
accepted?
What types of activities are eligible for planning or
implementation grants?
What does a State or QSDE need to do to obtain either a planning
or an implementation grant?
Are there any conditions placed on grant recipients?
Answers
What is the purpose of this grant program?
The grant program is designed to facilitate and expand the electronic movement
and use of health information among organizations according to national
standards.
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Who are eligible recipients of these grants?
Eligible recipients of these grants are limited to States or Qualified
State-Designated Entities.
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What
is a Qualified State-Designated Entity (QSDE)?
A QSDE is an entity that meets the following criteria:
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The entity is designated by the State as
eligible to receive awards;
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The entity is a not-for-profit entity with
broad stakeholder representation on its governing board;
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The entity demonstrates that one of its
principal goals is to use information technology to improve health care
quality and efficiency through the authorized and secure electronic exchange
and use of health information; and
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The entity adopts nondiscrimination and
conflict of interest policies that demonstrate a commitment to open, fair,
and nondiscriminatory participation by stakeholders.
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From what appropriation will the funding for this grant
program come?
The funding allocation will come from the $2 billion appropriated for the ONC
under the ARRA (Title VIII, pp. 65-66).
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What amount of funding will be available for this grant
program?
At this time, the amount of available funding for Wisconsin is unknown.
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When will this funding become available and grant
applications be accepted?
At this time, it is not known when this funding will become available, and the
ONC has not communicated any information about the grant application process.
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What
types of activities are eligible for planning or implementation grants?
Eligible activities include the following:
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Enhancing broad and varied participation in the
authorized and secure nationwide electronic use and exchange of health
information;
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Identifying State or local resources available
towards a nationwide effort to promote HIT;
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Complementing other federal grants, programs,
or efforts towards the promotion of HIT;
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Providing technical assistance for the
development and dissemination of solutions to barriers to the exchange of
electronic health information;
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Promoting effective strategies to adopt and
utilize HIT in medically underserved communities;
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Assisting patients in using HIT;
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Encouraging clinicians to work with HIT
Regional Extension Centers to the extent they are available and valuable;
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Supporting public health agencies' authorized
use of and access to electronic health information;
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Promoting the use of electronic health records
for quality improvement including through quality measures reporting; and
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Other activities the ONC may specify.
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What does a State or QSDE need to do to obtain either a
planning or an implementation grant?
In either case, the State or a QSDE must submit an application to the ONC.
Implementation grants require that a plan be submitted that describes the
activities the State or the QSDE will conduct to facilitate and expand the
electronic movement and use of health information among organizations according
to national standards. The plan must be pursued in the public interest and
consistent with the updated Federal HIT Strategic Plan, and describe the ways
the State or the QSDE will conduct the activities. The ONC must approve the
plan.
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Are
there any conditions placed on grant recipients?
Yes, there are several conditions.
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States or QSDEs which receive planning or
implementation grants must consult with and consider the recommendations of
health care providers (including providers that provide services to low
income and underserved populations); health plans; patient or consumer
organizations that represent the population to be served; health information
technology vendors; health care purchasers and employers; public health
agencies; health professions schools, universities and colleges; clinical
researchers; other users of health information technology such as the
support and clerical staff of providers and others involved in the care and
care coordination of patients.
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Beginning in FFY 2011, the ONC may not award an
implementation grant to a State unless the State agrees to provide matching
contributions toward costs as follows:
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FFY 2011, not less than $1 for each $10 of
federal funds.
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FFY 2012, not less than $1 for each $7 of
federal funds.
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FFY 2013 and beyond, not less than $1 for
each $3 of federal funds.
Matching funds may be in-kind, but no further
detail about in-kinds funds is provided. Before FFY 2011, the Secretary may
determine the extent to which matching contributions will be required from a
State for planning or implementation grants. It is unclear whether a match
is required from a QSDE grant recipient.
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Last Revised: July 12, 2010
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