TCC to lead local effort on digital health files

Tidewater Community College has received a $16 million federal grant to lead the region in a nationwide effort to unify health records electronically.

TCC announced Monday it will "lead a consortium to educate 7,500 information technology professionals in health care." It is one of five community colleges selected to join 16 universities and four research centers in the $84 million project.

The goal is to make electronic medical records a reality by 2014 through the training and development of more than 50,000 new IT health care professionals.

TCC President Deborah M. DiCroce called the news "a home run" for the college.

"We look forward to rolling up our sleeves with other colleges and our partners, all in the name of assuring health professionals apply, adopt and adapt to the best technological advances in health care," she said.

The federal economic stimulus law included $19 billion to initiate electronic health records for medical and research institutions, most of which are still pushing paper in today's digital era.

The goal is to allow unaffiliated hospitals to share records and to pave the way for medical professionals to share knowledge on patients with similar diagnoses. Its proponents believe the system also will reduce errors that come from handwritten notes and cut down on waste stemming from repeated medical tests. Patients also would have easier access to their own records.

"Training a cadre of new health IT professionals and breaking down barriers to the adoption of meaningful use of health IT are both critical to the national effort to use information technology to realize better health care," said David Blumenthal, national coordinator for health information technology.

TCC will coordinate the work of more than 100 community groups and 22 other community colleges in its 12-state region.

"TCC has taken a leadership role in developing the trained work force that will be necessary if we are to take full advantage of electronic health records and the sharing of patient information," said C. Donald Combs, vice provost for planning and health professions at Eastern Virginia Medical School, who will represent the school on the consortium 's regional curriculum committee. Larry Mercer, e-care director for Sentara Healthcare, will also be part of the advisory board.

DiCroce said she believes TCC's reputation with community partners put the college over the top in the process for the federal grant.

"We're hailed as a model in that area, so that's a point in our favor," she said. "The second thing is the health profession is one of our benchmark areas. We also have a reputation for leading large grants - although none this large - and doing it well and doing it right."

TCC is one of five community colleges that will establish a multi-institutional consortium in each region that will include 70 community colleges overall.

Each college will create a non degree training program that can be completed in six months or less by those with appropriate prior education and/or experience. The program will start as early as this summer at TCC, with individualized curriculum in these six key positions: practice workflow and information redesign specialist, clinician/practitioner consultant, implementation support specialist, implementation manager, technical/software support staff, and trainer.

Vicki L. Friedman,(757) 477-6874, VickiL120@cox.net