The California Networks for Electronic Health Record Adoption (CNEA) program was initiated in 2006 to speed adoption and lower the overall cost of electronic health records (EHR) in California community clinics and health centers. The Blue Shield of California Foundation (BSCF), the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF), and the Community Clinics Initiative (CCI), a joint project of the Tides and The California Endowment, are funding this project. In 2006, each organization committed approximately $1.5 million to a three-year effort to assist community clinics in implementing EHR systems in a networked fashion.

In the spirit of continued partnership with CCHCs in California, the next phase of the CNEA program will adapt with the feedback from interested clinics. The program will have several phases prior to allocating any grant dollars. First, organizations meeting the above criteria for a model will submit Letters of Intent. These organizations will then participate in a day-long salon with funders. Based upon feedback at this meeting, funders may reshape the grant program outlined below. Finally invitations will be sent to some applicants with instructions on submitting full proposals.

This second phase of the California Networks for EHR Adoption initiative seeks to increase adoption levels and lower adoptions costs of EHRs in CCHCs. In the first phase of CNEA, we attempted to create new NEAs in California. Given the complexity of creating such an organization, the next phase of the initiative will support California clinic participation in NEAs or the expansion of EHR collaborative infrastructures.

This phase of the effort may support one or more of the following models:

1. Leverage existing national EHR networks to provide for individual or groups of clinics in California;
2. Work with a California clinic consortia to expand their existing EHR product and implementation services to at least three of their members;
3. Support multi-site clinics to expand adoption of their existing EHR product and implementation services to at least three additional clinic sites; and/or
4. An alternative model not represented above that provides an existing EHR product and implementation services to CCHCs in a region or service area (such as a hospital system).

Given the limited dollars remaining in this program, we anticipate that this grant opportunity, like the last for CNEA will be very competitive. We expect to make no more than 6 grants in total.