Senator Warner announced today that $24 million from the economic stimulus package will go toward funding of two projects that will jump-start Virginia's transition to expanded use of health care information technology and electronic medical records.  

These grants will help Virginia medical professionals as they work to implement and use HIT to lower consumer health care costs, minimize redundant paperwork and reduce medical errors.

• $11.6 million has been awarded to the Virginia Department of Health to further the transition to a standardized health IT network.

• $12.4 million has been awarded to a non-profit, statewide project led by the Virginia Health Quality Center in Richmond and the Center for Innovative Technology in Herndon to establish regional extension centers to provide HIT and EHR outreach and support services to providers and hospitals serving Virginia’s Medicare population.

Senator Warner said today that although Virginia health care providers are already national leaders in the use of health IT, "significantly help individual providers as they work to implement and use this technology to establish a two-way exchange of information with local health departments."

“This represents a smart, one-time investment in Virginia’s economic infrastructure – investments that should help build on our health IT investment and work to establish electronic medical records in hospitals, nursing homes and physicians' offices that will improve care and reduce costs.”