Georgia

State Demographics
RUPRI Demographics & Economic Profile: Georgia

Rural Assistance Center (RAC) State Profile

U.S. Census Bureau State & County Quick Facts

USDA State Fact Sheets: Georgia

Legislation
Bill authorizing major medical facility projects and major medic
4/2/2008--Introduced. Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out major medical facility projects (projects) in FY2009 in: (1) Palo Alto, California; (2) Lee County, Florida; (3) San Juan, Puerto Rico; and (4) San Antonio, Texas. Authorizes the Secretary to carry out projects in FY2009, as originally authorized under the Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006, for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers in Denver, Colorado, and New Orleans, Louisiana. Authorizes the Secretary to carry out specified major medical facility leases (leases) in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. Authorizes appropriations for projects and leases authorized under this Act.

Georgia 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.

Southern Empowerment and Economic Development Act to authorize t

Telemedicine
Georgia Center for Telehealth
Telemedicine at the Center for Telehealth supports numerous clinical functions, including both initial and follow up consultations, established specialty clinics, and emergency consultations. More than 7000 consultations have been conducted to date, providing access to more than 45 medical specialties and subspecialties, as well as allied health and nursing specialties. The majority of requested medical specialties are pediatrics, psychiatry, pulmonology, hematology/oncology, family medicine, dermatology, infectious diseases and neurology. The majority of non-physician consultations are occupational therapy, speech pathology, pediatric nutrition, and physical therapy. Because of teleconsultation, more than 98% of telemedicine patients are able to remain in their local communities while receiving necessary specialty care previously only accessible via patient transportation to the specialist.

Home Telehealth Programs
Telehealth programs listed by state.

Medical College of Georgia Center for Telehealth
The mission of the Center for Telehealth is to develop, investigate and implement telecommunication and information technologies.

Patient Data Management System
The Medical College of Georgia Telemedicine Center contracted with the Biomedical Interactive Technology Center at the Georgia Institute of Technology to create a data management software program for the GSTP. The Patient Data Management System (PDMS) simplifies and organizes the collection of all consult-related information, tracking administrative details, such as the time of the consult, the patient and providers' names and the names of the sites involved. Patient images and heart and lung sounds associated with telemedicine consultations can be captured and added to the patient's electronic record.

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

Health Information Exchange (HIE) and Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIO)
Georgia Health Information Exchange
The Mission of the Georgia Health Information Exchange is to facilitate a health information exchange to improve public health and health care services through the effective use of automated personal health information.http://www.ruralcenter.org/hit_profiles/import/ HIT State Profiles - Data Import Utility

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.

http://ccbh.ehealthinitiative.org/communities/states.aspx?Locati
The Connecting Communities Directory is a compilation of state, regional and local initiatives focused on health information exchange. Data in this directory was self-reported by organizations who participated in the eHealth Initiative’s 2006 Survey of State, Regional and Community-Based Health Information Exchange Initiatives.

Grant Funded HIT Projects
2007 USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Recipients
October 1, 2007 . Acting Agriculture Secretary Conner announced the selection of 78 grant recipients for Distance Learning and Telemedicine grants totaling $22.3 million in 31 states. The Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) grant program was created to improve access to education and medical services through the use of technology. Of the grants announced today, 38 will provide access to medical services and 40 will be used to improve educational opportunities. The grant funds will be awarded to the selected recipients contingent upon meeting the conditions of the grant agreement.

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.

AHRQ funded projects: Comprehensive IT Solution for Quality and
Implements a series of new health information technologies in carefully staged processes over 2 years to include an Inpatient Pharmacy System, Electronic Medication Administration Record, Bar Coding System, and a CPOE System; evaluates the impact of these systems on safety, quality, and efficiency.

AHRQ funded projects: Using An Electronic Personal Health Record
Empowering patients through an electronic Personal Health Record (ePHR) will yield improved health outcomes, specifically measured in this study as greater blood pressure control, which in the long-term will reduce cardiovascular related events. If successful, an ePHR strategy could be applied to multiple chronic diseases, such as diabetes and obesity, and potentially impact public health by encouraging patients and physicians to work together to improve health, reduce risky behaviors, and share health care decisions.

Georgia Health Information Exchange Pilot Program
Deadline: September 28, 2007 This announcement aims to foster HIE development and implementation in Georgia by funding 2-3 pilot programs for a) planning projects that set the stage for future HIE development by establishing e-prescribing or electronic medical record programs and b) projects that support active or proposed HIE implementations. The Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH or Department) seeks to identify and support qualified healthcare organizations that are poised to make significant financial investments to establish these health information exchange pilot programs. Projects must be scalable and replicable to other parts of the state and other patient populations. The funds for this Request for Grant (RFG) will be awarded in the form of matching grants and are not intended to exceed $300,000 for each project proposal. Cash funds will be given from the State to support a percentage of the cost of the eligible project with the remaining funds provided by the grant recipient.

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Telehealth G
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.

NLM Knowledge Management & Applied Information Grants
Grants to health-related and scientific organizations that wish to optimize the utility of clinical and research information.NLM anticipates making 8-10 new awards each year, spending approximately $4 million per year to support new awards in this program.

Rural Assistance Center's (RAC) List of Funding Opportunities fo
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.

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


HIT Survey Information
Georgia's Responses for the 2006 TASC HIT Survey
The Technical Assistance and Services Center (TASC) surveyed 24 Critical Access Hospitals in Georgia to identify their use of HIT. A summary of the survey is as follows:
  • 33% of hospitals have a formal IT plan
  • 67% have funding included in their budget for purchasing information technology
  • 2 of 24 hospitals said they have their clinicians use hand held computers/ PDAs
  • 0% of the hospitals surveyed have nurses using hand held PDAs
  • All hospitals have internet (88% high-speed, 8% wireless, 8% dial up)
  • 92% of hospitals said they have encrypted secure e-mail access for all staff to protect patient confidentiality
  • 100% have computerized claims submissions and 96% have computerized patient billing
  • 92% have computerized payroll
  • 100% have computerized registration and admission
  • 1 hospital used 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
  • 42% of hospital pharmacies have computerized allergy and drug interactions and 33% have computerized dose recommendations
  • 38% of hospital pharmacies have an automated medication dispensing machine
  • 4% of the hospitals use telepharmacy
  • 33% have computerized clinician review of radiology results
  • 18 out of 24 hospitals use teleradiology technology to transmit images electronically
  • 10 out of 24 hospitals use telemedicine to consult with clinicians at other sites regarding patient diagnosis and/or treatment
  • 8% of the hospitals transmit EKG tracings electronically to clinicians at other sites
  • 63% of hospitals do not share clinical data with selected other departments within the hospital
  • 21% of hospitals surveyed have physician offices or clinics connected electronically to the hospital's information system
  • 29% have long-term care facilities connected electronically to the hospital's information system
  • 13% of the hospitals share clinical data electronically with other hospitals

Other HIT Activities
Georgia Department of Community Health Announces Georgia Rx Exch
The Georgia Rx Exchange is an opportunity to support the adaptation of technologies that will facilitate the exchange of prescription (or pharmaceutical)information as a means of improving patient safety, health care efficiency, and the coordination of care across publicly funded health care programs administered by state agencies.

Georgia Department of Community Health: HIT
This website was created to provide easy access to a number of health information technology resources. Content on this site will change based on national, state and local HIT activities.

Georgia Health Information Management Association

Georgia HIT Advisory Board

Georgia Medical Care Foundation

Georgia State Office of Rural Health

Georgia to Receive $3.9 Million in Federal Funds for New Health

HITT Advisory Board Takes Steps to Advance Georgia’s Health
Georgia Department of Community Health: The Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) announced the creation of the new Georgia Office of Health Information Technology and Transparency and adopted a strategic plan yesterday at the Health Information Technology and Transparency (HITT) Advisory Board’s monthly meeting.

November 12, 2007: Georgia Awards Grants To Begin Work on State

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