Image Movement of Montana, comprising 30 Montana healthcare facilities, announced that three of its facilities are now sharing radiology images and reports after a successful beta test of a cloud computing-based, information exchange platform, eMix (Electronic Medical Information Exchange).

On Dec. 30, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that outlines provisions governing the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs, including a proposed definition for the central concept of "meaningful use" of EHR technology. In order for professionals and hospitals to be eligible to receive payments under the incentive programs, provided through the Recovery Act, they must be able to demonstrate meaningful use of a certified EHR system.

On Dec. 30, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that outlines provisions governing the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs, including a proposed definition for the central concept of "meaningful use" of EHR technology. In order for professionals and hospitals to be eligible to receive payments under the incentive programs, provided through the Recovery Act, they must be able to demonstrate meaningful use of a certified EHR system.

The Health and Human Services Dept. announced a distribution of $60 million in grants, funded through the HITECH Act for Strategic Health IT Advanced Research Projects, to address health IT barriers.

The government delivered on Wednesday, Dec. 30, the long-awaited definition of meaningful use of electronic health record technology, and it came wrapped in about 700 pages of regulation.

Supporters tout Penn. Governor Rendell's plan for a statewide health information exchange, but some worry that following Delaware's roadmap won't address the state's complexities.

The Bronx Health Information Exchange, Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, and Fallon Clinic, a Boston-based health system, are trying to push information technology adoption in order to take advantage of new stimulus funds to be released in 2011.

Congressman Roy Blunt (R-MO) introduced H.R. 3987, which among other things would enable hospitals and other healthcare providers to supply physicians with health IT services or products for health information exchange.

The Coalition of Health Services of Amarillo, Tex., will receive a $250,000 grant from the Don and Sybil Harrington Foundation to build a regional health information organization that will enable providers to share patient data for improved patient care.

The Georgia Department of Community Health's Office of Health Information Technology & Transparency has launched an initiative, Georgia Health-e Connect, to implement a statewide Medicaid EHR system and health information exchange.