Regional Extension Center Offers Services to Specialists

Obstetricians and other specialists in West Texas now have access to EHR adoption assistance.

Obstetricians and other specialists in West Texas now have access to EHR adoption assistance.

The West Texas Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (WTxHITREC) now offers specialist services on a tier system based on electronic health record (EHR) adoption status and the number of providers within each practice.

Each tier has been created to develop an effective project plan to provide technical assistance and support each practice as they achieve meaningful use:

Tier 1 - No certified EHR previously adopted

Tier 2 - Certified EHR previously adopted but not implemented

Tier 3 - Certified EHR previously adopted and implemented — Meaningful use gap analysis

America’s health care system is making progress in embracing health information technology, according to a recent study by the National Center for Health Statistics, which found 55 percent of U.S. providers have transitioned to EHRs.

Health care providers face many challenges when approaching EHR implementation, and the WTxHITREC supports health care professionals, including primary health care providers and specialists, and hospitals in taking full advantage of EHRs. Currently, the WTxHITREC serves approximately 1,000 primary care providers and 40 hospitals.

The WTxHITREC, a program of the F. Marie Hall Institute for Rural and Community Health, was awarded through an objective review process by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, as the designated organization for 108 counties in West Texas to support health care providers and hospitals with EHR adoption and meaningful use.

Related Stories

Summer Program Introduces Medical Students to the Research Laboratory

Each year, approximately 100 first-year TTUHSC School of Medicine students — more than half of the Lubbock class — step out of the classroom and into the laboratory to spend part of their summer making unique discoveries through the Medical Student Summer Research Program (MSSRP).

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing Named Best Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program in Texas

The TTUHSC School of Nursing Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program has been ranked the No. 1 accelerated nursing program in Texas by RegisteredNursing.org.

TTUHSC Names New Regional Dean for the School of Nursing

Louise Rice, DNP, RN, has been named regional dean of the TTUHSC School of Nursing on the Amarillo campus.

Recent Stories

Summer Program Introduces Medical Students to the Research Laboratory

Each year, approximately 100 first-year TTUHSC School of Medicine students — more than half of the Lubbock class — step out of the classroom and into the laboratory to spend part of their summer making unique discoveries through the Medical Student Summer Research Program (MSSRP).

Research

TTUHSC Researcher Awarded CPRIT Grant to Study Type of Pediatric Bone Cancer

CPRIT recently awarded a two-year, $198,822 grant to Balakrishna Koneru, Ph.D., an assistant professor of pediatrics at TTUHSC’s School of Medicine and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Education

From Classroom to Clinic: Building the Future of Speech-Language Pathology

The Clinical Experience Course in the Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences program at TTUHSC provides students with hands-on, practical application of the theoretical knowledge learned in the classroom.