The funds will support health centers in every U.S. state, with the ultimate goals of making teach easier to use, improving practices, and keeping patient data safer.
The federal government awarded nearly $42 million in funding Thursday to Health Center Controlled Networks (HCCNs) for expanded use of health information technology.
The funds, awarded by Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), will be used by 49 recipient HCCNs to support more than 1,100 federally funded health centers in every state, D.C., and Puerto Rico, according to the HHS announcement. Each recipient will receive between $520,000 and $2.73 million, according to HRSA's website.
"Health centers play a crucial role in providing their communities with access to high quality, affordable healthcare," HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement. "Investing in more advanced health IT will help put patients at the center and unleash the power of data, helping us get better value from the care delivered by health centers and delivering on President Trump's vision for healthcare."
The announcement describes HCCNs as groups of health centers that work together to make tech tools easier for patients and providers to use, to improve their operational and clinical practices, and keep patient data safer. The percentage of HRSA-funded health centers has grown by 16 percentage points in recent years, from 70% in 2016 to 86% in 2019, according to the announcement.
"Improvements in information technology will enhance the patient and provider experience as health centers continue to deliver high quality primary care in underserved communities across the nation," said HRSA Administrator George Sigounas, MS, PhD, in the statement. "President Trump is determined to support and improve the ability of health centers to work together and deliver value-based care."