Health and Human Services has made available $1 million in grant funds to support community projects for the Community Interoperability Health Information Exchange (HIE) Program. The funding will help support and enable the flow of health information at the community level, leading to better care and better health.

The Community Interoperability and HIE program will provide funds to up to 10 community organizations, state or local government agencies or other community groups. The awards will help unlock health information and better integrate community resources advancing better care and healthier communities.

“The flow of health information across the entire care continuum is a critical step to realizing a learning health system that results in not only better care, but healthier people and communities. The new Community Interoperability and HIE program will fund local efforts that will leverage health IT in support of a more comprehensive digital data picture of health for people and their communities,” said Karen B. DeSalvo, M.D., national coordinator for Health Information Technology.

In the new grant program, awardees will demonstrate the use of health IT to the wide range of health providers, including those that are not eligible under the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs. These include long-term and post-acute care providers, behavioral health providers, individuals and their caregivers and other care setting and providers. These additional providers could also be safety net providers, public health, social service, emergency medical services and other key members of the care continuum.

The deadline for the submission of applications is June 15. The deadline to submit intent to apply notices is May 15, but intent to apply notices are not mandatory.  The submission application is available at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=275875.