Arnold Schwarzenegger
California State Governor

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced more than $6 million in grants aimed at promoting health information technology, medical education and coordinated care programs—all focused on improving California’s health care delivery system for underserved populations. This grant funding comes from a total of $50 million in charitable investments required by the state from PacificCare Health Systems when it merged with UnitedHealth Group in 2005.

“These projects provide an important step toward fixing our broken health care system by giving consumers and medical providers better access to telemedicine technology and personal health records,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “Expanding health information technology is a major component to comprehensive health care reform: it improves access to underserved Californians, increases patient safety and reduces overall health care costs.”

The funding is going to health care providers, clinics and community groups for such things as developing telemedicine and electronic health record systems for hospitals and clinics, funding gang violence prevention and improving access to mental health services.

Last August, the Governor announced $25 million in new grants for health care and technology projects, and today’s announcement of more than $6 million in grants is the second in four funding cycles over the next three years. $12.7 million has been awarded to date.

Last November, the Governor also announced an additional $22 million in grants to expand telemedicine across the state. A coalition of state agencies and private sector stakeholders, led by the University of California Office of the President, will use these grant funds, awarded by the Federal Communications Commission, to build a new California Telehealth Network linking academic teaching hospitals and rural health care providers to increase access to care for rural communities.

The next application cycle for proposals is July 2 to August 18, 2008. A description of the grant program and current application criteria are available at www.dmhc.ca.gov. The awards are based on a competitive grant process.

In July 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger signed an executive order establishing a goal to achieve 100 percent electronic health data exchange in California during the next 10 years. Since then, the Department of Managed Health Care and other state agencies have drafted a health information technology action plan to promote its adoption.

The following 12 projects were selected to receive grants:

$277,059 to Community Health Systems, Inc. in Riverside County to purchase and install a new Telephony System at six of its locations and to develop software to make automated phone calls to improve communication between its clinics and its patient base.
$841,140 to King’s View in Fresno County to purchase hardware and software that will increase mental health access for consumers with geographic and cultural barriers to treatment.
$326,357 to the Plumas District Hospital in Plumas County to replace an existing telemedicine system that is no longer serviceable or compatible with its new information technology infrastructure.
$250,010 to the Partners in Care Foundation in Los Angeles to improve access to and utilization of end-of-life care, such as hospice and palliative care, to a target population of terminally ill African Americans.
$444,470 to La Cooperativa Campesina de California in Sacramento County to expand migrant farm worker population and physician use of a personal health records system designed for low income populations who have sporadic access to care.
$322,540 to The Children’s Clinic in Los Angeles County to implement an electronic medical records system in a six-clinic environment. The system will be compatible with Long Beach Memorial Medical Center.
$396,057 to Community Health Partnership in Santa Clara County to implement a health care data warehouse for consortium members.
$250,000 to North East Medical Services in San Francisco County for the purchase and implementation of a chronic disease management system targeted to Asian populations.
$334,268 to Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation in Nevada County to support the third phase of implementation of a community-wide electronic health record system.
$100,000 to the Center for Community Advocacy in Monterey County to address behavioral health and family mental health root causes to community violence, as part of the launch of a gang violence prevention initiative targeted to farm workers and their families.
$276,859 for the Child Abuse Prevention Council of San Joaquin County for start-up costs for an interactive, evidence-based mental health treatment program that assists parents of children with behavioral problems.
$2.5 million to Health Professions Education Foundation in Sacramento County for clinician development in underserved and rural communities.