FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE		Media Contact:  Sara O’Keefe
March 13, 2008		Phone:(303) 953-3655

The Colorado Health Foundation Invests $6 Million in Phase II of Health Information Technology Initiative

Healthy Connections Works to Improve Technology for Providers
Caring for Low-Income, Uninsured Individuals

DENVER – Building upon its initial investment of $2.5 million in 2007, The Colorado Health Foundation announced $6 million in new funding for its Healthy Connections Health Information Technology (HIT) initiative.  The program will award grants to providers caring for low-income, uninsured Coloradans, which supports the Foundation’s goal to ensure that all Coloradans receive quality, coordinated health care.    

HIT is defined as the hardware and software used to store, protect, retrieve and transfer medical, administrative and financial information electronically in health care settings. HIT has emerged in recent years as a valuable tool for improving efficiency, quality and safety in health care. Examples of HIT tools include practice management systems, chronic disease registries and electronic health records.  Last year, the Foundation published a white paper, “Health Information Technology: A Strategy for Creating a Healthier Colorado,” that fully explored its vision for HIT in Colorado.   

In the first step toward realizing this vision, the Foundation in Phase I of the Healthy Connections initiative awarded $10,000 each to 15 organizations to assess and develop plans for incorporating information technology. Six clinics, that were further along in the planning process, received up to $300,000 each for staffing and equipment, such as hardware and software to support implementation efforts (see attached for complete list of Phase I grantees). Over the next year, Phase II will invest up to $6 million in 30 additional planning grants and up to 12 implementation grants. 

“This initiative is really about information and how it can improve the quality of care and, ultimately, the health of Coloradans,” said Anne Warhover, president and CEO of The Colorado Health Foundation. “The size of this investment is evidence of how strongly the Foundation believes that HIT is key to improving health care in our state,” added Warhover. 

Healthy Connections focuses on Colorado’s safety net providers, which are defined by the Institute of Medicine as those who deliver health-related services to “uninsured, Medicaid, and other vulnerable populations.”  Safety net providers serve one in five Colorado residents and are often located in high-need areas.  In addition, these safety net providers supply care to a number of Coloradans living in rural areas.  

The Foundation envisions a future HIT landscape in which an electronic record exists for every Coloradan.  In addition, providers will actually have the ability to coordinate care and collaborate with other medical professionals and community supports.  This may include a smooth flow of data between primary care physicians and specialists and the reporting of quality outcome data, among others.

This goal is well aligned with Gov. Bill Ritter’s “Building Blocks for Health Care Reform” plan that was launched last month. The plan calls for a $25 million general fund investment in the fiscal year 2008-09 budget request to address a number of health care priority areas, including funding to improve data exchange between state health care and providers.    

Phase II of the Healthy Connections initiative will provide funding in three strategic areas: assessment and planning; innovation to support implementation of HIT plans; and partnerships to support collaborations to use HIT to improve the quality of care at the community level. As the program progresses, the Foundation will evaluate results and share successes and lessons learned with grantees and other program partners in order to foster innovation, replication and the highest quality of service for low-income and uninsured individuals.

An official Request for Proposals (RFP) for Healthy Connections funding will be available this spring and will be followed by a series of learning community workshops. In addition to new grantees, Phase I funding recipients will be eligible to receive follow-up grants to assist with the implementation of HIT. Information on the RFP and related activities will be available on the Foundation’s Web site at www.ColoradoHealth.org. 

About The Colorado Health Foundation
The Colorado Health Foundation works to make Colorado the healthiest state in the nation by improving access to affordable, quality health care and encouraging Coloradans to make healthier lifestyle choices. The Foundation invests in the community through grants and initiatives to health-related nonprofits that focus on increasing the number of Coloradans with health insurance, ensuring they have access to integrated health care delivery systems and encouraging healthy lifestyles.  In addition, the Foundation operates medical education programs and community programs that assist the elderly, mothers and infants. The Foundation's assets of nearly $900 million include an investment portfolio as well as an ownership interest in Denver’s HealthONE hospital system.  For more information, please visit www.ColoradoHealth.org.

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