About

The Regional Extension Center of New Hampshire (RECNH) is part of a national network of federally funded centers that help providers gear up for an eHealth future. Provider organizations in New Hampshire can turn to us for technical assistance, guidance, and best practices as they select, implement, or upgrade their electronic health record (EHR) systems.

To date, we have supported more than 1,100 providers across the state to help them achieve stage 1 meaningful use under the HITECH Act. Our services include:

  • Meaningful use education and evaluation
  • Assistance with EHR selection and implementation
  • Enhancement of administrative and clinical workflows
  • Health information exchange (HIE) consulting

RECNH is operated by the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative (MAeHC), a pioneer and leader in delivering strategy, hands-on implementation, and best practices for community electronic health records (EHRs). MAeHC helped create some of the first modern health information exchanges (HIEs) in the country, and continues to build the most sustainable and successful eHealth communities from coast to coast.

RECNH combines MAeHC’s extensive experience with hands-on New Hampshire experience. This unique mix gives New Hampshire healthcare providers access to professionals who understand both their local needs and the federal requirements they need to meet.

About

“In my tiny family practice, the adoption of the EHR and attesting to meaningful use took six months start to finish. With the REC’s assistance, we went through it pretty effortlessly.”

Dr. Robin Hallquist
Twin Mountain, NH

“The additional support and funding from CMS and the RECNH has helped justify and expedite our IT progress, while leveraging EHR technology has allowed us to do things we never would have been able to do in a paper world. As a result, we are able to know our patients better and make knowledgeable, quicker clinical decisions that ultimately help lead to safer and better quality care.”

David Briden
Chief Information Officer
Exeter Health Resources

“The achievement to successfully reach Stage 1 Meaningful Use was the result of a total commitment by every department at Cottage, and the pivotal assistance of the Regional Extension Center of NH.”

Director of Management Information
Cottage Hospital

Did You Know?

For providers that qualify as a priority primary care provider, there is no fee associated with RECNH services. Other providers are eligible for low cost, fee-for-service consulting.

To achieve meaningful use, providers need to show they’re using certified EHR technology to improve healthcare quality and efficiency in significant ways that can be measured.

There is no specific requirement to connect to a HIE to achieve Stage 1 Meaningful Use. In future years, the need for external electronic connections to communicate with providers and patients will become a required component of meaningful use.

In New Hampshire, 1,000 priority primary care providers have been targeted for REC services. RECNH is here to support them and the state’s 13 qualifying critical access hospitals.

Starting in 2015, Medicare-eligible professionals who do not successfully demonstrate meaningful use will have a payment adjustment to their Medicare reimbursement.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services established meaningful use criteria to encourage widespread adoption of EHRs with the goal of improving healthcare quality and efficiency.

RECNH supports a variety of statewide initiatives. We coordinate and collaborate with the NH Medicaid Health Information Technology program, and the NH State Public Health reporting initiatives. We are an active member of the NH Health Information Organization (NHHIO) workgroups and work closely with the Southern Maine Community College program that supports New Hampshire residents through workforce development training.

RECNH was launched by the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative (MAeHC) in 2010 with the support of a $6.9 million federal award. RECNH combines MAeHC’s extensive experience with hands-on New Hampshire experience.

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