HRSA Offers HELP with HIPAA

[David Frenkel]

From Health Data Magazine:   http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/html/hipaa/NewsStory.cfm?DID=8650   Regards,   David Frenkel Business Development GEFEG USA Global Leader in Ecommerce Tools www.gefeg.com 425-260-5030   HRSA Offers HELP with HIPAA (June 06, 2002) The Health Resources and Services Administration is accepting applications for a $15 million grant program to help small rural hospitals of 49 or fewer beds implement certain programs, including HIPAA compliance. The agency, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, announced the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant Program June 5 in the Federal Register. The agency believes all 1,265 eligible hospitals will apply for a grant, resulting in awards of about $11,000 each. A list of eligible hospitals is available at www.ruralhealth.hrsa.gov/ship.htm. The program enables grant money to pay for costs related to HIPAA compliance, implementation of prospective payment systems, and initiatives to reduce medical errors and support quality improvement. "It is expected that most of these grant funds will be used to purchase technical assistance, services, training and information technology," according to the agency's published notice. "To help maximize purchasing power through economies of scale, eligible grantees are strongly encouraged to organize themselves into consortiums and pool their grant funds for the purchase of these services. State Office of Rural Health agencies may help their eligible hospitals form consortiums and also purchase the goods and services they need."