MUVers are ‘Muving’ Healthcare Forward
Jennifer Rathman, Wide River TEC
jrathman@widerivertec.org
Blog: widerivertec.wordpress.com
“Although the transition to electronic health records can be challenging, I don’t know how I could practice without it at this point,” said Dr. Mark W. Woodruff of Omaha, Neb. Dr. Woodruff’s insight regarding electronic health records (EHRs) is proven to be invaluable to other practitioners who are considering making the switch from paper records to EHRs. Because of this, Dr. Woodruff and thousands of other providers across the country are joining the Meaningful Use Vanguard (MUV). The MUV program was created by the HHS Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) to encourage providers to share their HIT stories and highlight their experiences.
The definition of vanguard is the foremost position in an army or fleet advancing into battle. This is a great depiction of these providers who are leading the way in adopting new and challenging technologies. The goal of the MUV program is to establish a cohort of regional and local champions of EHR adoption and meaningful use who will serve as local advisors. The ONC provides the framework and guidance for the program; the local Regional Extension Centers (RECs) are responsible for recruiting and maintaining those relationships. Many RECs across the country are leveraging these early adopters to advance their outreach and education efforts, and research has indicated that peer‐to‐peer learning results in higher achievement and greater productivity. Wide River TEC, Nebraska’s REC, utilizes MUVers in speaking engagements, educational events and to help other clinicians overcome the seemingly insurmountable challenges of implementing and optimizing their EHR. “These MUVers are the local champions in their community who each have a unique story to tell and lesson to share on what made them successful. It is incredibly important to connect providers and office staff with their peers in their endeavors to achieve meaningful use and beyond. We are thrilled to work with such an energetic, knowledgeable group and will continue to help them share their stories,” quoted the MUVer Lead at the ONC, Lisa‐Nicole Danehy.
In June, Dr. Woodruff and over a hundred MUVers from across the country had the opportunity to participate in two national Health IT events in the nation’s capital focusing on how health information technology can help improve care quality and patient health. They attended a Health IT Vanguard Conference hosted by the ONC and a Health IT Town Hall hosted at the White House by senior Obama
Administration and HHS officials. Both events recognized the contributions of MUVers in the adoption and implementation of Meaningful Use.
Dr. Woodruff and thousands of other MUVers from across the country are at the forefront of EHR implementation and meaningful use. I encourage other clinicians to join the MUVment by contacting your local REC to share your HIT story so that others, too, can learn from you. To find your local REC, visit this page on the HealthIT.gov website. Learn more about Nebraska’s MUVer program.
Jennifer Rathman has over 10+ years of experience in healthcare marketing and communications and has worked as the Communications Manager for Wide River TEC for over two years. Wide River TEC was awarded through an objective review process by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC), as the designated organization in Nebraska to support primary health care providers on EHR adoption and meaningful use. To learn more about EHR adoption, meaningful use and other areas of health IT, visit www.healthit.gov. To learn more about Wide River TEC, visit widerivertec.org.