The Missouri Foundation for Health has awarded $743,470 in grants to 14 public health agencies in the southeastern portion of the state, according to DailyJournal Online.
Cape Girardeau (Mo.) County Public Health Center will take the lead on the five-year multicounty grant.
"There are not many county health departments in Missouri currently using electronic health records largely due to cost, not because it isn't needed," Park Hills, Mo.-based St. Francois County Health Center Director Jessica McKnight said. "We applied for the grant because as a group we were looking towards the future and there are many benefits that EHR can offer us; helping us work more efficiently and giving us access to more data that will help us address the needs of the community."
St. Francois County Health Center is already planning for the new system, as well as potential disruptions to care while staff get up to speed on the new tech. The health center will be open throughout the implementation process, but will not be providing any nursing services Sept. 18 to Sept. 20 while staff is in training.
The Missouri Foundation for Health serves as a healthcare resource for communities and nonprofits in southeastern Missouri. It is the largest organization of its kind in the state and one of the largest in the country.