For more information on THE Consortium Pricing on Cost-Saving Services, click here.

Access to Meaningful Use Adoption Resources

Get the Latest Tools and Resources Available for Meaningful Use! THE Consortium helps you navigate the complexity of the HITECH Act by providing you with current tools and resources to help your facility make informed decisions. Whether it’s a meaningful use self-assessment or a decision-matrix tool, THE Consortium provides you with resources that will ease the burden of achieving meaningful use on your own. As a Consortium member, you will have access to these tools and resources through a members-only website page.

EHR Implementation Services
Note: Pricing and services differ for CAHs, Rural Hospitals and clinics, so please refer to the Cost-Saving Services pricing.

Make Sure You’re Taking the Right Steps Towards Implementation! Regardless of your stage of adoption, Consortium members can benefit from assessment, roadmap, workflow analysis and vendor selection & negotiation services. Members with no HIT currently in place will need more in-depth readiness and cultural competency assistance, while those who currently have a system in place may need help evaluating workflow and processes to effectively use their systems to achieve meaningful use and improve quality of care delivered. A detailed description of each stage is featured below.

• HIT Readiness Assessment: The readiness assessment evaluates your current infrastructure and investigates availability of local connectivity options and community expertise in IT. The assessment also includes an evaluation of the culture of the organization and readiness to change processes and workflow, and identifies the potential need for staff education (computer skills, financial, quality improvement, etc). A high level HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which requires specific privacy and security safeguards for patient data) and risk analysis is also completed with the initial assessment. Assessment data will be presented to your facility in a report that will help you shape your strategic roadmap for future technology adoption. Readiness assessments are key steps in the successful planning, preparation and implementation of HIT adoption.
• HIT Roadmap: In conjunction with your facility lead, THE Consortium staff will analyze the assessment document and help you develop a strategic roadmap to reach your short term and long term HIT goals. The roadmap allows you to determine priorities, evaluate financial needs, and develop a work plan to achieve goals along your designated timeline. Assistance will also be provided to help you identify potential vendors to consider when purchasing a system and help in the contract negotiation stage of the process. Our team will present these findings to your Board if requested.
• HIT Workflow Analysis: For organizations just starting their process, or already down the road, the workflow analysis provides invaluable insight into current business processes and workflows, identifying those that need improvement and structuring all workflows for optimum HIT interface.  Workflow analyses have equal value for facilities who are further along in the process of implementing an HIT system, or who already have a system and want to use it more efficiently to deliver care and reach meaningful use.  Without proper workflow analysis and assistance before implementation, many providers who adopt EHR find themselves with inefficient and burdensome systems and many times a failed implementation. With the assistance of THE Consortium, CRHC can help you develop workflows that complement your HIT. THE Consortium uses basic Lean and Six Sigma methodologies to help you streamline processes, saving time, money and improving the delivery of care and patient experience.
• Vendor Ombudsman: Through THE Consortium, CRHC acts on behalf of member hospitals and clinics as a third party vendor ombudsman. CRHC ensures that vendors are held accountable to timelines and that contracts include all provisions necessary to allow for incentive fund adoption to avoid additional costs being incurred by the facilities. 
• Federal Stimulus Incentive Calculating: Whether you are a Critical Access Hospital, a provider-based or independent Rural Health Clinic, or a private practice, we can help you figure out the exact incentive funding dollar amount you can expect from the HITECH funding. Knowing this information will be critical to assist you in determining your HIT roadmap and evaluating the best solutions for your situation.
• Vendor Selection Assistance: THE Consortium is vendor-neutral so we can act on your behalf throughout the vendor negotiation, contract and implementation process to make sure you are protected. With our assistance, you can be confident that you are being given the best rates, negotiated contracts and timelines to meet your needs.

HIPAA Compliance Package

Rest Assured You Are Up-to-Date With Current HIPAA Policies & Procedures! As a valued CRHC member, you will receive current HIPAA Policies & Procedures and access to a series of  web-based training and educational seminars that will allow you to implement HIPAA standards in your facility today. You will also receive the renowned PrivaPlan HIPAA Privacy and Security Toolkit, including an updated Notice of Privacy Practices and Business Associate Agreement template. This is especially important to ensure your HIPAA written policies and procedures are up to date for the HITECH Act! With THE Consortium, you can be confident you have sound HIPAA practices in place. Also, as a member, you have access to HIPAA expert consultants that can answer your questions and support you should in the event of a citation. Note: requires use of the PrivaPlan HIPAA Toolkit - $325 for CRHC members; $75 for annual upgrades

HIPAA On-site Security Risk Assessment
Cost: $8,250 for member hospitals; $2,750 for member clinics

Make Sure You’re Not At Risk For A HIPAA Security Violation! All facilities will need to have a formal HIPAA IT security risk assessment completed or updated to meet the HITECH act requirements and to qualify for EHR incentive funds! Additionally, a formal security risk assessment is a basic requirement of the HIPAA  Security Rule requirements established in 2005. The risk analysis is an assessment of the administrative, physical and technical security safeguards in place for both protected health information as well as information security. Risk analyses identify the criticality of software applications using PHI and information, establish a threat matrix and the likeliness of a threat or exploitation, and provide a risk ranking. Consortium risk analyses also provide useful information on how to remediate risks, and are an excellent component of readiness for EHR implementation. This formal security risk analysis evaluates your facility’s compliance to the HIPAA Security rule, provides a risk gap analysis and remediation recommendation, allowing your staff to implement and maintain an ongoing risk management program.