HIT Strategic Plan of SW Minnesota Health Providers

Project Details -
Completed

The Minnesota Rural Health Cooperative, with the Granite Falls Municipal Hospital acting as fiscal agent, applied for Planning grant funds for the purpose of completion of a health information technology (health IT) strategic plan for the region's hospitals and clinics. Quality health, improved efficiencies, and development of business cases for needed technology were the focal point of the planning efforts. The Cooperative is located in the southwestern corner of Minnesota, and members include the following: hospitals (almost all critical access hospitals), primary and satellite clinics, specialty clinics, physicians, and mid-levels. These are small organizations serving a rural population, and the Cooperative has a long history of successful collaborative efforts among its members. Health IT capabilities and needs, vendor solutions, and sites, were all researched and analyzed primarily from questionnaires, with some face-to-face interviews. The primary lessons learned include the need for physician involvement and extensive planning for success.