MADISON – Governor Jim Doyle announced today that his budget will include $30 million to increase the use of electronic medical record systems, reducing medical errors, improving safety, and decreasing health care costs. Governor Doyle made the announcement at Dean Health System in Madison.
“I am committed to ensuring that all Wisconsin families have access to affordable, quality health care,” Governor Doyle said. “That’s why I am pleased to unveil a proposal of my budget that will help to reduce dangerous medical errors and unnecessary spending by helping care providers implement electronic medical records systems.”
According to the U.S. Institute of Medicine, up to 98,000 people in the United States can die every year from medical errors. In addition, about 30 percent of health care spending – up to $300 billion – is inappropriate, redundant, or unnecessary.
“Care providers still often rely on paper charts written by hand to record the treatment of patients,” Governor Doyle said. “With better use of information technology, we can transform our health care system to improve the safety and quality of health care.”
Governor Doyle’s budget proposal will include:
- $20 million for the creation of an eHealth grant program for organizations that implement eHealth initiatives;
- $10 million in tax credits for businesses that implement eHealth initiatives; and
- Funding for the Wisconsin eHealth Care Quality and Patient Safety Board.
“Investments in eHealth initiatives are vital in providing health care that is patient centered, safe, and cost effective and is a key component of quality improvement as recommended by the Institute of Medicine,” said Allison Mooney, Chief Operating Officer of Dean Health Systems.
In 2005, Governor Doyle created the eHealth Care Quality and Patient Safety Board, which in December 2006 published the first-ever Wisconsin eHealth Action Plan to improve the quality and safety of our health care system.
