New York State's two federally designated healthcare IT regional extension centers (RECs) kicked off their work in the Big Apple Thursday amid a little hoopla and some serious talk about electronic medical records, education sessions and vendor demonstrations of how the technology works.

Today, the New York eHealth Collaborative and the NYC Regional Electronic Adoption Center for Health (NYC REACH) are ready to hit the road to other parts of the state.

They head next to Long Island, Syracuse, Buffalo, Binghamton, Albany and Tarrytown.

The effort to get New York's doctors on board with electronic medical records, will be a marketing and education campaign first, said David Whitlinger, executive director of the New York eHealth Collaborative.

The goal is to help at least 10,000 primary care providers convert from paper to digital records over the next two years. The centers are two of 60 at work across the country. Together, they aim to target 100,000 physicians who have not yet gone digital.

"With one of the nation's largest healthcare systems, New York State is leading the way for the adoption of electronic health records," said Amanda Parsons, MD, assistant commissioner of the Primary Care Information Project at the New York City Health Department. Parsons oversees the NYC REACH program, which served as model for the government's regional extension centers.

"We deploy EHR technology to improve healthcare and save lives across our health care system," Parsons said.
 
"The federal subsidies supporting adoption of EHRs will be available only for a couple of years, so it's important for primary care providers in New York to act now to take advantage of these programs while there are still funds available," Whitlinger said. "These free summits are a great way for clinicians to learn more about all the resources available to help them implement electronic health records in their practices. The sooner they start using EHRs to enhance patient care, the more stimulus funds they can earn."
 
The latest data shows that electronic health record adoption is picking up rapidly, with an estimated 27 percent of physicians using some kind of EHR, compared with 17 percent in 2007 and 21 percent in 2008.

"More than two-thirds of U.S. ambulatory physicians work in solo or small group practices, and this program will help providers in small practice settings, community health centers, public hospitals, and settings that treat underserved populations implement electronic health records to enhance care for their patients," said Parsons. "Our team of experts can provide valuable hands-on assistance to providers every step of the way, from evaluating and selecting an electronic health record system to implementing it most effectively to improve patient care and qualify for federal funds."
  
"It's crucial for healthcare providers to learn how to leverage electronic health records to improve patient care, and we are committed to giving them the concrete guidance they will need to do this most effectively," said Rachel Block, deputy commissioner for the New York State Office of Health Information Technology. "EHRs will help improve quality of care for New Yorkers while boosting efficiency and enhancing patient satisfaction. Today's health care consumers expect and deserve to receive care that is safe, convenient and tailored to their needs."
 
Primary care providers can register to attend one of the following daylong events:

• Long Island: May 14 at the Huntington Hilton
• Buffalo: May 20 at the Adams Mark Hotel
• Syracuse: May 21 at the Doubletree Hotel
• Binghamton: May 22 at the Ramada Hotel and Conference Center
• Albany: June 2 at the Marriott Albany
• Tarrytown: June 4 at the Marriott Westchester