SONOMA VALLEY COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER
Grant: $472,985 - Health Resources and Services Administration - Jun. 25, 2009
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Award Description: Sonoma Valley Community Health Center (SVCHC) submitted three projects to be addressed with the CIP Funds: 1) Implement a Certified EHR/Practice Management System (PMS): Over the last 2 years SVCHC has been preparing for the implementation of an EHR system and is ready to go forward. With the CIP funds, SVCHC will purchase a Certified EHR/PMS with patient portal, e-prescribing and e-exchange, along with some supportive hardware. The system will improve the quality and efficiency of care, reduce medical errors, improve patient safety, and advance data collecting and reporting; 2) Develop a Computer Training Lab/Learning Center: To efficiently and effectively train providers/staff in using software used at SVCHC including EHR, SVCHC will develop a learning center with dedicated workstations and video conferencing equipment. The distance learning center will also allow providers to attend medical/health conferences and interact with the instructor remotely. This will decrease time away from the Health Center and permit providers to spend more time treating patients; 3) Purchase Clinical Equipment: To accommodate the planned recruitment of a full time physician with IDS stimulus funds, we will transform one small waiting room to another patient exam room allowing us to increase the number of patients seen by providers (expands capacity). CIP funds will pay for the patient equipment in this exam room (which will be identical to the equipment in all other exam rooms). Due to increase in patient volume, SVCHC will also purchase a larger vaccine compliant refrigerator as well as additional waiting room furniture. Finally, with CIP funds, we will purchase four lactation pumps to be rented to women who have had difficulties in establishing enough breast milk. (Breastfeeding success has been low within our targeted population.) Education will be provided along with other breastfeeding supplies to establish a full scope breastfeeding support center. Not only will SVCHC's comprehensive perinatal program, providing obstetrical care, nutrition, psychosocial counseling and health education, be enhanced but babies and moms will be better supported.
Project Description: EHR Planning & Implementation: Sonoma Valley Community Health Center (SVCHC) had completed its EHR vendor selection process prior to the application of the CIP grant. SVCHC had to wait for funding to participate and could not go forward with the purchase of an EHR system. Now with CIP funding, SVCHC will negotiate pricing with eClinicalWorks, the vendor that has been chosen. SVCHC initiated contract with an Health Information Technology Consultant from Coker Group, to assist the SVCHC staff with contract negotiation, implementation planning and 'go live' management support. The HIT Consultant is scheduled to meet with SVCHC staff first week in October 2009. In order to review the software, speak with other eClinicalWorks users who have used the system and plan for implementation, SVCHC's CEO and Medical Director attended eClinicalWorks user trainings in Las Vegas on September 12 - 15, 2009. Both also met with the Health Information Technology Consultant from Coker and specialists from eClinicalWorks at the trainings. The costs of these trainings ($3026) are reflected in the equipment line item of the budget. Planning for the Learning Center parallels with the EHR implementation. SVCHC will work with the HIT Consultant to determine the appropriate equipment for the Learning Center. Other than choosing the HIT Consultant, there has been no activity associated with HIT equipment purchases for the 1st quarter. No equipment has been ordered for the additional exam room in 1st quarter. We are waiting for the remodeling to be completed. The Medical Director and CEO met with the State's Immunization Specialist in September and discussed appropriate types of refrigerators to purchase. The refrigerator will be ordered the first week of October. Breast Pumps: No associated activities or costs for the 1st quarter.
Infrastructure Description: The CIP grant funds ($472,985) that were awarded to Sonoma Valley Community Health Center for infrastructure investment will serve to fulfill three of the purposes of the Recovery Act: 1) To preserve and create jobs and promote economic recovery; This quarter, SVCHC has selected an HIT Consultant to assist with the implementation of an Electronic Health Record/Practice Management system which will begin in CIP Quarter 2. We are hoping to hire a part time IT manager for SVCHC in the second quarter of the CIP funding. Part of the CIP monies will be used to hire two part time FTE support positions, one to provide IT support to the Computer Training Lab/Learning Center and the other to provide educational support to new moms and babies that need breast feeding support. 2) To assist those most impacted by the recession; and CIP monies will be used to purchase: a refrigerator/freezer to store vaccines for children and adults; breast pumps to provide lactation support to new moms and babies; electronic health record management system to improve quality, patient safety, and efficiency of care to our patients; to expand capacity of providers to see additional patients who need medical care, both through the technology improvements of an in-house Learning Center and to furnish an additional exam room. 3) To provide investments needed to increase economic efficiency by spurring technological advances in science and health. CIP monies will be used to purchase and implement an Electronic Health Record practice management system at SVCHC that will pull us out of a paper-based medical record system and move us forward into an electronic health record providing economic efficiency and technological advances (after the initial installation is complete).
Jobs Summary: The jobs that will be created at SVCHC with CIP funds include: 1) Health Information Technology Consultant will be contracted to oversee the planning and implementation of a Certified Electronic Health Record (EHR) Practice Management System. (Project 63893-01) This individual has been selected this quarter (CIP Quarter 1, 7/1/09 to 9/30/09) and will begin implementation work with SVCHC early in CIP Quarter 2 (10/1/09-12/31/09). 2) Part time IT Manager will be hired for the project. A job description has been developed and the position is currently being advertised. We expect to hire sometime in the second quarter of the project. (Project 63893-01) 3) Part time IT Support Staff person to be created/hired as part of Project # 63893-02, Installation of a Training Lab/Learning Center. This will be the individual who staffs the center and performs the training. 4) Part time CPSP Patient Educational Staff, part of Project #63893-03, to provide educational resources to the additional CPSP program, breast feeding support. (Total jobs reported: 0)
Project Status: Less Than 50% Completed
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