Electronic health initiatives could save money and enhancesafety, according to a report from the American ElectronicsAssociation.
The 'eHealth 301: Electronic Prescriptions' report shows thatelectronic prescriptions also are more convenient and more reliablethan paper documents.
If all Medicare prescriptions were transmitted electronically by2010, federal health expenditures could be reduced by as much as $29billion during the next decade, according to The Gorman HealthGroup. While the use of e-prescribing systems has increaseddramatically during the last several years, only 2 percent of allprescriptions were transmitted electronically in 2007.
To view the complete report, visit www.aeanet.org/cs.
Scott appointed to board
B.J. Scott, president and CEO of Peak Vista Community HealthCenters, has been appointed to the Colorado Commission on HigherEducation.
Gov. Bill Ritter appointed Scott to the commission, whichprovides access to affordable education for state residents.
Scott has been involved in leadership development and youthinitiatives, the YMCA and the Chamber of Commerce. She received herundergraduate degree in religion and sociology, and completed theJohnson & Johnson UCLA Health Care Executives Program. She also hascompleted the Indiana University Center of Philanthropy program.
Peak Vista Community Health Centers is a nonprofit organizationwhose mission is to provide health care for people facing accessbarriers. Peak Vista serves more than 53,000 patients with medical,dental and behavioral health care through 12 centers at nine sites.
Soldiers' mental health
National Guard soldiers returning from wars in Afghanistan andIraq are facing a shortage of mental health assistance because of alack of availability in Colorado's rural communities.
But Civilians for Veterans Fund plans to change that by raisingmoney to provide mental health and substance abuse treatment toreturning soldiers, veterans and family members in Montrose, the SanLuis Valley and southeast Colorado.
The coalition includes the Firefly Fund, Colorado BehavioralHealthcare Services and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Although the Veterans' Administration offers mental healthtreatment to returning soldiers, these services are not necessarilyavailable in all rural communities and they might not be availableto all returning guardsmen and reservists.
For more information about CVF, call Doyle Forrestal at (303) 832-7594.
Grants to keep Colo. healthy
Rocky Mountain Health Care Services is one of 44 organizations inColorado that received a grant from the Colorado Health Foundationto improve health care across the state.
The El Paso County-based organization received $300,000 toprovide medical and social services to the elderly. The grant ispart of a total of $25 million distributed throughout the state.
More than $3 million was dedicated to two projects. Peak VistaCommunity Health Centers was part of a $1.4 million grant to improvehealth information technology in safety-net clinics, part of a grantawarded to the Colorado Regional Health Information Organization.
Colorado Access, in collaboration with the Colorado Department ofHealth Care Policy and Financing, will launch a $1.8 million pilotproject to deliver case management to Medicaid patients withmultiple chronic conditions. The goal is to improve health outcomesfor 2,500 of the highest-cost Medicaid patients.
The foundation accepts applications for grants four times a year.The next deadline is Oct. 15. More information is available atwww.ColoradoHealth.org.
