State Demographics
RUPRI Demographics & Economic Profile
U.S. Census Bureau State & County Quick Facts
USDA State Fact Sheets
Rural Assistance Center (RAC) State Profile

Legislation
Telemedicine Legislation
State telemedicine legislation addresses various providers, including physicians, dentists, chiropractors, nurses, and other health professionals. This site includes telemedicine-related laws; however, it does not include all appropriations bills that fund telemedicine initiatives.

Telemedicine
Telemedicine Information Exchange
A list of telemedicine and telehealth programs for all states.

Home Telehealth Programs
Telehealth programs listed by state.

State Activities in Telehealth
A list of telehealth activities throughout each state.

Health Information Exchange (HIE) and Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIO)
HIMSS HIT Dashboard
Click on your state to see a list of Health Information Exchanges (HIE) and Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIO) and other Health Information Technology related projects going on throughout the states.

Florida's Health Information Infrastructure
The Health Information Infrastructure Advisory Board was established to advise the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) as it develops and implements a strategy for the adoption and use of electronic health records.

Grant Funded HIT Projects
Pharmacy HIT Grants For Critical Access Hospitals

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Program Awards
Follow the link above to see what USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program Awards have been given out in this state.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) HIT Grants
In September 2004, the Agency for Health care Research and Quality (AHRQ) awarded $139 million in contracts and grants to promote the use of health information technology (health IT) through the development of networks for sharing clinical data as well as projects for planning, implementing, and demonstrating the value of health IT.  Click on the link above to see what grants have been awarded in this state.

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Telehealth Grantees, 2005
In 2005, HRSA administered 159 telehealth/telemedicine projects. Of those, 92 were awarded funds totaling more than $34.9 million. Projects receive funds in one of four ways: The Telehealth Network Grant Program, Rural Telemedicine Grant Program, Congressionally Mandated Projects, and Special Projects. 

Rural Assistance Center's (RAC) List of Funding Opportunities
Up-to-date summaries of funding programs are provided by RAC for your convenience. Please contact the funder directly for the most complete and current information.

HIT Survey Information
Responses for the 2006 TASC HIT Survey

The Technical Assistance and Services Center (TASC) surveyed 9 Critical Access Hospitals in Florida to identify their use of HIT.  A summary of the survey is as follows:

• 22% of hospitals have a formal IT plan
• 33% have funding included in their budget for purchasing information technology
  
• 2 of 9 hospitals said their clinicians use hand held computers/ PDAs
  

• All hospitals have internet (89% high-speed, 11% wireless, 11% dial up)
• 78% of hospitals said they have encrypted secure e-mail access for all staff to protect patient confidentiality
• 89% have computerized claims submissions and 89% have computerized patient billing
• 89% have computerized payroll
• 100% have computerized registration and admission
  
• None of the hospitals use bar-coded patient identification bracelets
• 100% of hospitals surveyed do not use electronic medical records
  
• 0% keep physician's notes and 0% keep vital signs records in electronic format
  
• 33% of hospital pharmacies have computerized allergy and drug interactions and 33% have computerized dose recommendations
  
• 22% of hospital pharmacies have an automated medication dispensing machine
  
• 22% of the hospitals use telepharmacy
  
• 22% have computerized clinician review of radiology results
• 7 out of 9 hospitals use teleradiology technology to transmit images electronically
• 0 out of 9 hospitals use telemedicine to consult with clinicians at other sites regarding patient diagnosis and/or treatment
• 11% of the hospitals transmit EKG tracings electronically to clinicians at other sites
  
• 78% of hospitals do not share clinical data with selected other departments within the hospital
• 22% of hospitals surveyed have physician offices or clinics connected electronically to the hospital's information system
• 11% have long-term care facilities connected electronically to the hospital's information system
• 11% of the hospitals share clinical data electronically with other hospitals

Other HIT Activities
Local Hospitals Save BIG $$ on Telecommunications Costs

National Association of Community Health Centers

Health Center Use of Electronic Health Information, 2006, provides state level findings on health center use of electronic health information and barriers to adopting health information technology. Based on a 2006 national survey of health centers.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida
BCBSA of Florida is committed to the widespread adoption of interoperable health information systems based on standards that support the exchange of information among providers, payers, government and consumers. 

South Florida Health Information Initiative
The South Florida Health Information Initiative envisions a healthcare community that maximizes its technological resources to establish and maintain a cost-effective, secure, and user centric health information infrastructure that allows the exchange of information between patients, providers, and payors.

Florida State Office of Rural Health

For additional information, please visit the Rural Health Resource Center web site at www.ruralcenter.org.