Critical Access Hospitals Get Funding For Health IT

The Obama administration announced this week it will provide loans to more than 1,300 critical access hospitals (CAHs) to buy software and hardware systems that will support efforts to raise the quality of care at these hospitals.

Dr. Karen Joynt, the lead author of a recent report that found critical access hospitals (CAHs) in rural areas lagging behind in health IT adoption, said she applauds the initiative. In an interview with InformationWeek Healthcare, Joynt said that, while CAHs have limited resources to adopt technology, they are being asked to meet the same requirements under the Medicare and Medicaid electronic health record (EHR) incentive programs that other hospitals with more capital and skilled IT personnel must meet...