Incentives / Assistance LHIT Resources Center

Louisiana Health Information Technology Resource Center

The Louisiana Health Information Technology (LHIT) Resource Center, administered by the Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum, is one of 62 regional centers around the nation.  LHIT was awarded the designation to serve as Louisiana’s source for assistance, guidance and information on best practices to support health care providers in the adoption and meaningful use of electronic health records (EHR’s).
 
The LHIT Resource Center will support clients through:
  • Qualifying and registering for the incentive payments through Medicare/Medicaid. 
  • Project management and implementation.
  • Preferred pricing on various vendor services.
  • Continued support after EHR go-live.
  • Gap analysis and ongoing meaningful use support.

The LHIT is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to lead collaborative evidence-based initiatives to improve the health of Louisiana Citizens.

As the Regional Extension Center for the state, the Louisiana Health Information Technology (LHIT) Resource Center has received $7.8 million in federal grant funds to support 1,042 primary care providers and 64 critical access/rural hospitals as they achieve “meaningful use” standards by April 2014.
Services offered by the LHIT Resource Center are designed to help providers adopt and meaningfully use electronic health records (EHRs) to maintain patients’ health information. Meaningful use refers to the fact that providers need to demonstrate that they use certified EHR technology in ways that can be measured significantly in quality and quantity. 
 
Clients of the LHIT Resource Center, will receive help in facilitating the adoption of a certified EHR system.  Services offered are based on the practices current level of electronic health record adoption. 

TIER 1
Assistance converting from a paper office to an EHR system and then achieving meaningful use. 

TIER 2

Assistance in achieving meaningful use if provider has an EHR system but has not implemented all required components. 
TIER 3

Meaningful use gap analysis for a provider who has fully implemented an EHR system.


LHIT Resource Center services include:
  • EHR vendor selection
  • Technical assistance
  • Project management
  • Practice and workflow redesign
  • Meaningful use achievement
  • Privacy/security planning
  • Education and outreach
All Louisiana health care providers are eligible for services which are provided at reasonable fees.  Providers that meet federal “priority primary care provider” qualification standards are eligible to received discounted services. 

Priority primary care providers include physicians (Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and Obstetrics/Gynecology) and other health care professionals (Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Certified Nurse-Midwives) with prescribing privileges in small group practices (10 or fewer providers); public and critical access hospitals; community health centers and rural health clinics; and other ambulatory settings that predominantly serve uninsured, underinsured and medically underserved populations.

As meaningful users of EHRs, health care providers may be eligible for up to $63,750 over six years through Medicaid and up to $44,000 over five years through Medicare.  The LHIT Resource Center staff is available to work with providers to determine eligibility.

To enroll in the LHIT Resource Center and take adavatage of the services that they have to offer with EHR adoption and achieving Meaningful Use, click here to view and print a LHIT contract for grant eligible professionals.  For more information, please contact the LHIT Resource by calling 225 334 9299, toll-free at 877 676 9298 or e-mailing rec@lhcqf.org.