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H H S Department of Health and Human Services
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Health Information Technology and Quality
Improvement

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Opportunities for Collaboration

A core feature of HRSA's strategy to encourage health IT adoption among health centers and other safety net providers is collaboration. Several health center networks have successfully begun planning and implementation efforts and have demonstrated a "proof in concept" that collaboration in implementing health IT can result in economies of scale. This is particularly true with respect to finding executive leadership to manage and direct health IT implementations. Strong health IT entrepreneurs who work with safety net providers are few and far between and working in consortium represents a highly effective approach for a wider group of health centers to leverage these individuals. Of course, collaboration also comes with its share of difficulties and challenges, so care should be taken in identifying partners to start a new consortium or in selecting an existing consortium to join.

General Resources on Collaboration:

  • Using Collaboration to Accelerate Quality Improvement (PDF - 56KB)- Developed by the California Primary Care Association, this PowerPoint presentation provides an overview on the use of health IT to drive quality improvement through collaborative efforts in California.
  • Developing a Collaborative Relationship (PDF - 64KB)- Developed by the Community Care Network of Virginia, this PowerPoint presentation provides reasoning behind collaboration, defines aspects of successful collaboration, discusses factors promoting effective collaboration, presents misconceptions, and provides an overview of collaboration between the Community Care Network of Virginia Primary Care Association.
  • Partnership - The Road to Success (PDF - 248KB) - Developed by the San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium (SFCCC), this PowerPoint presentation focuses on SFCCC's partnerships and their impact upon care. (2008)
Developed by the Health Resources and Services Administration as a resource for health centers and other safety net and ambulatory care providers who are seeking to implement health IT.
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Health Information Technology Toolboxes help health centers, safety net providers, and ambulatory care providers with electronic and online resources and technical assistance to improve patient care.  More>
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