Key Health Alliance and REACH

Key Health Alliance is a partnership of Stratis Health, National Rural Health Resource Center, and The College of St. Scholastica and was developed with an emphasis on meeting the needs of rural and underserved populations. The three organizations have a long history of working together to improve health care. Each organization has unique and complementary expertise and experience in health care quality, education, patient safety, and health information technology. This partnership formalizes our commitment to a long term, ongoing, working relationship.

Regional Extension Center for Health Information Technology (REACH)

REACH is a nonprofit federal Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center dedicated to helping providers in clinics, small hospitals, and other settings in Minnesota and North Dakota implement and effectively use electronic health records. Our mission is to assure that each of our clients achieve meaningful use.

REACH is a program of Key Health Alliance, a partnership of Stratis Health, National Rural Health Resource Center, and The College of St. Scholastica, which collaborates with North Dakota Health Care Review and the University of North Dakota, School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

REACH for Minnesota and North Dakota works with providers to improve the quality and value of care they deliver through adopting and meaningfully using health information technology (HIT), specifically electronic health records (EHR).

HIT Regional Extension Centers are funded as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. REACH is one of 60 extension centers established across the country to provide education and technical assistance to help providers select, implement, and achieve meaningful use of certified EHR technology, as well as the ability to exchange health information with other providers and agencies.

To help meet national HIT Regional Extension Center Program goals, REACH aims to provide technical assistance services and support to 5,100 priority primary care physicians and other clinicians in Minnesota and North Dakota over the next four years. Over 4,600 providers at more than 400 practices have already expressed their interest in participating in the program and receiving technical assistance services. In addition to primary care practices, REACH services will be available to providers of all types across the continuum of care.

Minnesota and North Dakota Councils

Because the practice and stakeholder environments in Minnesota and North Dakota are different, two state-specific councils help guide our work. These councils provide valuable feedback and guidance on our planning and program design work. The appointed council representatives are:

Minnesota Council

• Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians - Virginia Barzan
• Minnesota Department of Health - Jim Golden
• Minnesota Department of Health/Public Health Informatics - Marty LaVenture
• Minnesota Department of Human Services - Bob Paulsen
• Minnesota Hospital Association - Chris Begin
• Minnesota Medical Association - Becky Schierman
• University of Minnesota, Academic Health Center - Kevin Peterson

North Dakota Council

• North Dakota Department of Human Services - Nancy Willis
• North Dakota Department of Human Services/State Medicaid Agency - Maggie Anderson
• North Dakota Health Care Review, Inc. – Barbara Groutt
• North Dakota HIT Advisory Committee (Section 3013 grant applicant for ND) - Lynette Dickson
• North Dakota Medical Association - Bruce Levi
• State of North Dakota – HIT - Sheldon Wolf

We also draw on the existing e-health infrastructure in each state, specifically the broad stakeholder representation of the Minnesota eHealth Advisory Committee and the North Dakota HIT Advisory Committee.