CSC to Help Georgia Hospital Association Members Achieve 'Meaningful Use' of Electronic Heal...( ...),Health

FALLS CHURCH, Va., Aug. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- CSC (NYSE: CSC) today announced that the Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) has endorsed the company as a preferred provider to help member hospitals comply with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), also known as the U.S. federal government stimulus package. Under the ARRA, hospitals will receive incentive payments starting in 2011 for the successful implementation and use of electronic health records, which the plan defines as "meaningful use." The goal is for hospitals to increase efficiency, reduce costs and improve quality of care through the use of health information technology. Hospitals that do not meet federal guidelines by 2015 face reductions in Medicare reimbursement.

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"Electronic health records hold a great deal of promise in improving patient outcomes, but our nation's hospitals need to make substantial changes to their clinical processes, health information systems and the way physicians and caregivers interact with technology to reap the full benefit," said Deward Watts, president of CSC's Healthcare Group. "GHA is providing its members with a much-needed service to help them qualify for incentive payments and improve quality of care. Its approach is a model for other state hospital associations across the country, and we are pleased to provide our IT expertise to support this endeavor."

As part of the project, CSC conducted an educational workshop for GHA members on the healthcare provisions in the stimulus package and their impact on hospitals. CSC is already working with members to calculate potential Medicare
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