WASHINGTON —
U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) announced today that the omnibus appropriations bill that has passed Congress includes $650,000 for the Community Health Integrated Partnership, Inc. (CHIP) to implement an Electronic Patient Record System (EPRS) in nine Federally Qualified Community Health Centers in Maryland.
 

“Our health care delivery system of the future will require that patient records be available electronically to ensure accurate and effective medical care without duplication of services,” said
Senator Cardin.
  “I supported this funding because it will ensure better patient care and it will help create a more efficient system that will save millions of dollars.”

CHIP is in the process of deploying a new electronic patient record system in the 53 delivery sites of the nine participant Maryland health centers across the state. The new electronic patient record system will provide the health centers with the tools needed to effectively and efficiently manage our health center population, the majority of which are below 200 percent of poverty, have little access to comprehensive primary care, and have multiple chronic diseases including substance abuse, mental health disease and HIV/AIDS.

 Maryland’s federally qualified health centers are the backbone of the state’s “safety net” health care system for the uninsured, Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries, the state’s poor, immigrant and minority  populations.

The following nine FQHCs in Maryland will be participating in the new electronic patient record system:

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  Community Clinic, Inc., which serves Montgomery, northern Prince Georges and southern Howard Counties;
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   Greater Baden Medical Services, Inc., which serves southern Prince Georges, Charles, Calvert and St. Mary’s Counties;
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  Peoples Community Health Centers, Inc., which serves Baltimore City, Baltimore County and northern Anne Arundel County;
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  Three Lower Counties Community Services, Inc., which serves Worcester, Wicomico and Somerset Counties;
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  Owensville Primary Care, Inc., which serves southern Anne Arundel and northern Calvert Counties;
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  Total Health Care, Inc., which serves Baltimore City;
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  West Cecil Health Center, Inc. which serves Cecil and Harford Counties;
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  Healthcare for the Homeless, which serves clients statewide; and,
• 
  Mountain Laurel Medical Center, Inc., which serves Garrett County