FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oklahoma Receives Funding To Expand Use of Electronic Medical Records for Health Care Improvement
(September 29, 2009, Oklahoma City, Ok) – Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality (OFMQ) announces it was awarded a contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to help health care providers who serve lower income and uninsured Oklahomans, including seniors and minorities, to improve care for their patients. A number of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) throughout Oklahoma will receive technical assistance from OFMQ to use electronic medical records (EMR) technology to provide improved screening services, such as mammography and colorectal cancer screening, and diabetes care.
“OFMQ has provided technical support to hundreds of Oklahoma physicians and clinics over the past five years to help them use electronic medical records to improve patient care,” said Dale Bratzler, DO, MPH, OFMQ’s chief executive officer. “We are glad to be in a position to expand our work to more facilities and help improve care for more Oklahomans,” he said.
“We appreciate OFMQ’s partnership and look forward to working together to use electronic medical records in our community-based centers,” said Greta Stewart, MPH, CAE, executive director of Oklahoma Primary Care Association, the association for federally-supported community health centers. “OFMQ provides unique and much-needed clinical quality improvement expertise to help ensure that providers get the most meaningful use from these systems and patients are receive better care,” she said.
Through OFMQ’s contract award, Oklahoma was the only state out of 17 bidders to receive funding for this specialized work, designated as “Using EMR in Federally Qualified Health Centers in Medically Underserved Areas.” The project will run for 23 months beginning in September 2009.
###
About Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality
Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality (OFMQ) is a not-for-profit health care quality improvement organization (QIO) dedicated to improving health care and improving lives. For 37 years, OFMQ has played an integral role in ensuring quality medical services through health care review, quality improvement projects and public education. Working in partnership with physicians, hospitals, nursing homes and other health organizations, we provide expert consulting for clinical and organizational quality improvement. Based in Oklahoma City, we serve providers and consumers throughout the state, and we contribute expertise and resources to advance health care quality improvement through national-level initiatives. OFMQ holds contracts with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. www.ofmq.com
About OKPCA
Oklahoma Primary Care Association (OKPCA) is the state trade association for Federally Qualified Health Centers and other safety net providers. OKPCA’s mission is strengthening access to affordable community-based health care through advocacy, education and technical assistance. www.okpca.org
Federally Qualified Health Centers are primary care delivery sites that provide quality primary health care services to Medically Underserved Areas/Populations. FQHCs are community-based, patient driven organizations that have served these areas and populations for more than 40 years.