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Vendors, start your engines: after a long wait, two certification bodies have now been officially recognized by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) and Drummond Group have now been approved to begin testing and certifying Electronic Health Records (EHRs) that will qualify for the HITECH incentives program. You can read all about it in these press releases:

• HHS
• CCHIT
• Drummond Group

CCHIT will hold one of their Town Call web meetings on September 20 to explain the details of this new certification program, and will begin accepting applications immediately afterwards. Drummond Group has released an EHR Testing and Certification Guide with information on how its testing will be carried out, as well as how to apply and what pricing options are available.

As they say on the commercials, but wait, there's more. Yesterday I read an announcement naming yet another organization who has applied to become a temporary certification body (or ONC-ATBC): Weno Healthcare Inc. They claim to offer a $19,000 savings for testing complete EHRs, though I couldn't find any pricing information over on their website.

Previously I'd seen reports that there may be up to 15 ONC-ATBC applications. With the announcement of two certification bodies open for business, I expect we'll more applicants become public. Now the race is on to see what product will be the first to become certified for HITECH.

Last Friday I highlighted an Associated Press article which offered a less rosy projection of HITECH than the Obama administration's stimulus progress report. Today I want to encourage anyone still undecided about pursuing an Electronic Health Record (EHR) to read this post at the Wall Street Journal's Health Blog, regarding a recent study looking at how well hospitals currently measure up to the meaningful use requirements. It ably and succinctly addresses the main issues everyone discussing HITECH has brought up.

Yesterday I read an Associated Press (AP) article going through a recent progress report for the stimulus package. Ever since I began reading and writing about the HITECH program I've wondered how well other stimulus projects were working, and if they were prone to some of the same problems as the investments in Health Information Technology (HIT): too much change expected too soon, with deadlines approaching without specific guidance and limited time to overcome the complexities and inertia of the project. Judging by how much I agree with what this reporter wrote about HITECH, I'm a bit worried about how effective the stimulus program will be in the long term.

On the bright side, the new graphic and design over at the Office of the National Coordinator's web site looks great. Maybe they can work on a simpler web address next.

I wrote last week on a public call the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) held on meaningful use. Bobby Gladd, a Regional Extension Center (REC) coordinator and blogger, found out some interesting details during that call, which he shared here on this blog and over at EMR & HIPAA. Check out the discussion over there on what makes a meaningful use expert.

If you're curious about the temporary certification program for Electronic Health Records (EHRs), you can listen in on two informational sessions over the next two weeks. Here are the details:

I received an email yesterday about yet another informational conference call on meaningful use. This one is geared specifically toward eligible professionals (EPs), so it's a good time to find out how HITECH may affect your practice:

"The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) invites you to join us for a national provider call addressing the specifics of the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs for Eligible Professionals. If you are an individual practitioner, this FREE session will help you learn the details of the programs that specifically pertain to you – eligibility, payment, what you need to register, timeline, and meaningful use reporting.