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The Medicaid Incentive Program really is the turning point
for the provision of health care in this generation.
It is just enough to invest that I think makes the difference
between medical practices that are willing
to make that transition to electronic health records.
Vitally important, but they have to have
a little boost financially to make that commitment.
The benefits for us, as patients, are tremendous.
How many times have you sat in the doctor's office
or even in the ER and been handed the clipboard
so you could, once again, fill out a piece of paper
and try to remember all the times you'd seen or had surgery,
what medicine you're taking, only, then, to leave
and realize that you'd forgotten something.
The point is a system
that has that information readily available
means that the quality of care we get is going to be improved;
it means the efficiency.
Just the time and effort it takes,
not just for the patient, but for the staff
of that provider's setting, whatever it is, to process
yet another piece of paper and try to update that.
But to be able to turn to a computer,
have the information instantly, can not only improve quality,
but it also improves the efficiency of the operation,
so it's an all-win, I think, for the patient.
The benefits for the providers themselves, the practitioners,
again, is that they have information they can rely on.
I mean, I've seen practices, just like you have,
where there's a chart in the door,
the doctor, you know, picks it up.
It's got that piece of paper that somebody filled out
10 minutes ago, trying to remember everything.
It's just imprecise and it has all kinds of risks
that there won't be sufficient information
or the information's not accurate.
The practitioner can now rely because they know they've got
good, valid information -- that's number 1.
(2) is it is a financial win for them.
They no longer have to store drawers of paper
and then the expense of trying
to retrieve it when they need it.
I mean, to have that information available to them electronically
just makes sense.
It's interesting to me that health care seems to be one
of the last industries to discover that,
just as a matter of business practice,
it makes sense, you know, just the sheer economics.
You know, today, we celebrate an event,
with electronic health records,
that represents the first in the nation, you know.
It's not the first time our partnership
has created a situation that represents progress,
that's the first in the nation, it won't be the last,
but it's a remarkable partnership
that has many, many benefits for all of us.