Colorado Springs Medical Briefs: July 25, 2008
By Gillentine, Amy
Electronic health initiatives could save money and enhance safety, according to a report from the American Electronics Association.
The “eHealth 301: Electronic Prescriptions” report shows that electronic prescriptions also are more convenient and more reliable than paper documents.
If all Medicare prescriptions were transmitted electronically by 2010, federal health expenditures could be reduced by as much as $29 billion during the next decade, according to The Gorman Health Group. While the use of e-prescribing systems has increased dramatically during the last several years, only 2 percent of all prescriptions were transmitted electronically in 2007.
To view the complete report, visit www.aeanet.org/cs.
Scott appointed to board
B.J. Scott, president and CEO of Peak Vista Community Health Centers, has been appointed to the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.
Gov. Bill Ritter appointed Scott to the commission, which provides access to affordable education for state residents.
Scott has been involved in leadership development and youth initiatives, the YMCA and the Chamber of Commerce. She received her undergraduate degree in religion and sociology, and completed the Johnson & Johnson UCLA Health Care Executives Program. She also has completed the Indiana University Center of Philanthropy program.
Peak Vista Community Health Centers is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide health care for people facing access barriers. Peak Vista serves more than 53,000 patients with medical, dental and behavioral health care through 12 centers at nine sites.
Soldiers’ mental health
National Guard soldiers returning from wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are facing a shortage of mental health assistance because of a lack of availability in Colorado’s rural communities.
But Civilians for Veterans Fund plans to change that by raising money to provide mental health and substance abuse treatment to returning soldiers, veterans and family members in Montrose, the San Luis Valley and southeast Colorado.
The coalition includes the Firefly Fund, Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Services and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Although the Veterans’ Administration offers mental health treatment to returning soldiers, these services are not necessarily available in all rural communities and they might not be available to all returning guardsmen and reservists.
For more information about CVF, call Doyle Forrestal at (303) 832- 7594.
Grants to keep Colo. healthy
Rocky Mountain Health Care Services is one of 44 organizations in Colorado that received a grant from the Colorado Health Foundation to improve health care across the state.
The El Paso County-based organization received $300,000 to provide medical and social services to the elderly. The grant is part of a total of $25 million distributed throughout the state.
More than $3 million was dedicated to two projects. Peak Vista Community Health Centers was part of a $1.4 million grant to improve health information technology in safety-net clinics, part of a grant awarded to the Colorado Regional Health Information Organization.
Colorado Access, in collaboration with the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, will launch a $1.8 million pilot project to deliver case management to Medicaid patients with multiple chronic conditions. The goal is to improve health outcomes for 2,500 of the highest-cost Medicaid patients.
The foundation accepts applications for grants four times a year. The next deadline is Oct. 15. More information is available at www.ColoradoHealth.org.
Credit: Amy Gillentine
(Copyright 2008 Dolan Media Newswires)
(c) 2008 Colorado Springs Business Journal, The. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.