The final rule for the Medicare and Medicaid Incentive Program (42 CFR Parts 412, 413, and 495) and Health Information Technology: Initial Set of Standards, Specification and Certification Criteria for Electronic Health Records Technology (45CFR Part 170) has been published in the federal register.

Additional resources can be found at the CMS Stage 2 website.

CMS is hosting another webinar on the EHR Incentive Program on Wednesday, August 1, 2012, 12:30 CDT.

Follow the steps below to join the webinar:

1. If possible, prior to August 1, view the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Attestation Webinar for EPs or EHs by scrolling down to Attestation Information.
2. Make a list of your EHR incentive program attestation questions to ask during the Q&A session on the live webinar.  If you prefer, you may submit questions in advance to – Adra Mayberry at adra.mayberry@cms.hhs.gov please use “August 1 EHR Webinar” in the subject line of your email.  Advance questions should be submitted to Adra no later than COB Monday, 7/30/12.
3. Join the live webinar on August 1 by clicking on this link,  https://webinar.cms.hhs.gov/attestation/ and dialing 877-267-1577 and entering Meeting ID 3206.

Congratulations to St. Andrew’s Health Center in Bottineau for completeing stage one of Meaningful Use and receiving Medicare Electronic Health Record Incentive Payment

Go to the Bottineau Courant and Lake Metigoshe Mirror for more information.

Today, Surescripts released a study on the benefits of E-Prescribing. E-Prescribing is one of the Office of National Coordinator and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services major focus areas for meaningful use of electronic health record systems. The Press Release was published on February 1, 2012.  One of the major findings they identified was that prescriptions picked up by patients increased 10% after adoption of E-prescribing by a physician. They correlate this with better adherence to disease treatment. Please see the press release for additional information.

North Dakota has significantly increased e-prescribing over the past couple of years. For more information, view a state specific progress report.

Congratulations to McKenzie County Healthcare System for being the first hospital in North Dakota to quality for Medicare funding for the Medicare Meaningful Use Incentive program.

The press release that was released in the Watford City Business Wire on December 28th.