Geneva area medical community may be contenders for federal grants

Physicians in and around the city of Geneva could be among the contenders for thousands of dollars in federal grants -- if they convert to electronic records management software.

Kerry Weems, acting administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in Washington, D.C., and other federal officials visited Delnor-Community Hospital in Geneva on Wednesday to talk with about 30 medical professionals about the new technology.

Electronic record keeping isn't new. Many major hospitals, including Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, have converted. But those hospitals cannot access patient information electronically from area physicians because many of them cannot afford the new technology.

If Geneva is among 12 communities selected for the federal program, then each physician could receive up to $58,000, or each multi-physician practice up to $290,000, in federal funding over five years.

"Physicians, especially in small- and mid-size practices, are slower to adopt," Weems said during an interview. "We found the adoption rate is only 10 percent, which means 90 percent have not adopted. So we're going after that sweet spot."

The incentives are part of President Bush's initiative to get doctors online by 2014. The administration has been touting the advantages of secured electronic record systems to help improve medical care for about 3.6 million people nationwide. Electronic systems help streamline operations, reduce medical errors and eliminate duplicative tests and services, proponents say.

Weems aims to visit 40 communities to encourage them to apply for the program. Once communities are selected, they can check a list of 90 certified technologies to buy.

"Geneva has put together a substantial community of medical professionals that includes organizations and employers in the surrounding area," Weems said. "We're looking for applications from such communities and hope that Geneva does apply."

The Northern Illinois Physicians for Connectivity is expected to apply for the program on behalf of Geneva area doctors, said Jim Kearns, Delnor's chief information officer.

Kearns said Delnor has already converted to electronic records and they're available to doctors. But the records that doctors keep in their area offices aren't accessible to Delnor. In many cases, the cost is prohibitive for solo doctors and small practices, often ranging from $35,000 to $250,000, to install new software, hardware and provide training.

Their hospital has rolled out a physician Web portal so doctors can securely access patient information from hospital procedures. Next, the hospital plans to roll out a secure patient Web portal so individuals could access their own records, like checking their own cholesterol levels, Kearns said.

"We have some really progressive doctors here, but we also have some who are just drowning in paper," Kearns said.