2006 Minnesota Statutes

144.3345 INTERCONNECTED ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD GRANTS.
    Subdivision 1. Definitions. The following definitions are used for the purposes of this section.
(a) "Eligible community e-health collaborative" means an existing or newly established
collaborative to support the adoption and use of interoperable electronic health records. A
collaborative must consist of at least three or more eligible health care entities in at least two of
the categories listed in paragraph (b) and have a focus on interconnecting the members of the
collaborative for secure and interoperable exchange of health care information.
(b) "Eligible health care entity" means one of the following:
(1) community clinics, as defined under section 145.9268;
(2) hospitals eligible for rural hospital capital improvement grants, as defined in section
144.148;
(3) physician clinics located in a community with a population of less than 50,000 according
to United States Census Bureau statistics and outside the seven-county metropolitan area;
(4) nursing facilities licensed under sections 144A.01 to 144A.27;
(5) community health boards as established under chapter 145A;
(6) nonprofit entities with a purpose to provide health information exchange coordination
governed by a representative, multi-stakeholder board of directors; and
(7) other providers of health or health care services approved by the commissioner for
which interoperable electronic health record capability would improve quality of care, patient
safety, or community health.
    Subd. 2. Grants authorized. The commissioner of health shall award grants to eligible
community e-health collaborative projects to improve the implementation and use of interoperable
electronic health records including but not limited to the following projects:
(1) collaborative efforts to host and support fully functional interoperable electronic health
records in multiple care settings;
(2) electronic medication history and electronic patient registration information;
(3) electronic personal health records for persons with chronic diseases and for prevention
services;
(4) rural and underserved community models for electronic prescribing; and
(5) enabling local public health systems to rapidly and electronically exchange information
needed to participate in community e-health collaboratives or for public health emergency
preparedness and response.
Grant funds may not be used for construction of health care or other buildings or facilities.
    Subd. 3. Allocation of grants. (a) To receive a grant under this section, an eligible
community e-health collaborative must submit an application to the commissioner of health by
the deadline established by the commissioner. A grant may be awarded upon the signing of a
grant contract. In awarding grants, the commissioner shall give preference to projects benefiting
providers located in rural and underserved areas of Minnesota which the commissioner has
determined have an unmet need for the development and funding of electronic health records.
Applicants may apply for and the commissioner may award grants for one-year, two-year,
or three-year periods.
(b) An application must be on a form and contain information as specified by the
commissioner but at a minimum must contain:
(1) a description of the purpose or project for which grant funds will be used;
(2) a description of the problem or problems the grant funds will be used to address,
including an assessment likelihood of the project occurring absent grant funding;
(3) a description of achievable objectives, a workplan, budget, budget narrative, a project
communications plan, a timeline for implementation and completion of processes or projects
enabled by the grant, and an assessment of privacy and security issues and a proposed approach to
address these issues;
(4) a description of the health care entities and other groups participating in the project,
including identification of the lead entity responsible for applying for and receiving grant funds;
(5) a plan for how patients and consumers will be involved in development of policies and
procedures related to the access to and interchange of information;
(6) evidence of consensus and commitment among the health care entities and others who
developed the proposal and are responsible for its implementation; and
(7) a plan for documenting and evaluating results of the grant.
(c) The commissioner shall review each application to determine whether the application
is complete and whether the applicant and the project are eligible for a grant. In evaluating
applications, the commissioner shall take into consideration factors, including but not limited to,
the following:
(1) the degree to which the proposal interconnects the various providers of care in the
applicant's geographic community;
(2) the degree to which the project provides for the interoperability of electronic health
records or related health information technology between the members of the collaborative,
and presence and scope of a description of how the project intends to interconnect with other
providers not part of the project into the future;
(3) the degree to which the project addresses current unmet needs pertaining to interoperable
electronic health records in a geographic area of Minnesota and the likelihood that the needs
would not be met absent grant funds;
(4) the applicant's thoroughness and clarity in describing the project, how the project will
improve patient safety, quality of care, and consumer empowerment, and the role of the various
collaborative members;
(5) the recommendations of the Health Information and Technology Infrastructure Advisory
Committee; and
(6) other factors that the commissioner deems relevant.
(d) Grant funds shall be awarded on a three-to-one match basis. Applicants shall be required
to provide $1 in the form of cash or in-kind staff or services for each $3 provided under the
grant program.
(e) Grants shall not exceed $900,000 per grant. The commissioner has discretion over the
size and number of grants awarded.
    Subd. 4. Evaluation and report. The commissioner of health shall evaluate the overall
effectiveness of the grant program. The commissioner shall collect progress and expenditure
reports to evaluate the grant program from the eligible community collaboratives receiving grants.
History: 2006 c 282 art 16 s 3