Rep. Bryan Cutler Proposes Using $25M In Stimulus

LANCASTER, Pa. — The use of electronic medical records could become more widespread in Pennsylvania if new legislation passes.

Rep. Bryan Cutler, R-100th district, is introducing a bill that would create a grant program for health care providers to implement the health information technology.

The systems used in parts of Lancaster General Hospital and some of its doctors offices put a patient’s medical records in one electronic chart.

Cutler wants to use $25 million in stimulus money to fund the program.

“This technology needs to be adopted for patient safety and for decreasing costs,” said Cutler.

Sixty percent of the doctors in its health system will have computerized medical records by July and all of them will have the system by 2010, Lancaster General officials said.

The medical record system will be shared with physicians outside its health system, Lancaster General officials said.

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