The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) have awarded nearly $1 billion in Recovery Act awards to help make health information technology (HIT) available to more than 100,000 hospitals and primary care physicians by 2014, and to train thousands of people for careers in health care and information technology (IT). More than $750 million in HHS grant awards are part of a federal initiative to build state and regional capacity for the adoption and meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs). As far as money directed specifically to states, $386 million was awarded to 40 states and qualified State Designated Entities to facilitate health information exchange at the state level. From the DOL, more than $225 million in grant awards will be used to train 15,000 people for careers in health care, IT and other high growth fields.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and DOL Secretary Hilda Solis announced these awards on February 12. The HHS and DOL awards are part of a $100 billion investment in science, innovation and technology through the Recovery Act that is designed to stimulate job creation in growing industries and establish a strong foundation for economic growth. Refer to this HHS news release for more information on the topic and to see a complete list of the awards.
Source: “Sebelius, Solis Announce Nearly $1 Billion Recovery Act Investment in Advancing Use of Health IT, Training Workers for Health Jobs of the Future,” News Release, Department of Health and Human Services, February 12, 2010.
