Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that the State of New Mexico will receive a $405,000 grant to develop plans to implement an electronic health records system.

The grant will be used to assess the best way to implement Health Information Technology infrastructure for New Mexico's Medicaid program.  HIT is expected to improve the quality and efficiency of the way health care is delivered.

These grants were included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which also includes substantial funding directly to hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare providers for the costs of adopting new HIT systems.  Those grants will begin in 2011.

"Computers can be an extremely effective tool for medical professionals because they allow for nearly instant access to a patient's history, X-rays and other valuable information.  Relying on technology will help improve the quality and efficiency of health care delivery in our state, which is why I'm glad New Mexico has been awarded this grant," Bingaman said. "But this is just one important step in making sure that New Mexico can modernize its healthcare system.  In the months to come, more funding will be available to hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare providers, and I hope that we can take full advantage of it."

"I believe that electronic medical records are an important step forward in improving the efficiency and quality of our health care system," Udall said.  "The Recovery Act has allowed us to make big improvements like this one to ensure that New Mexico is offering a modern delivery system that controls costs and improves health outcomes for patients."