The Western Slope is among 15 communities across the country selected to test health-information technology as the nation embarks on federal reform.
The Colorado Beacon Consortium, based in Grand Junction, is receiving nearly $12 million for its part in the pilot project, Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced Tuesday.
The money will allow the consortium, which includes Rocky Mountain Health Plans, to use electronic medical records to try to improve blood-pressure control in patients with diabetes and hypertension. The grant also will be used on smoking-cessation counseling. The funding is part of $220 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act awards intended to make improvements in health care quality, safety and efficiency. It also is intended to kick off an emerging health-information technology industry that could employ tens of thousands of people.
