Washington, DC – Oregon’s Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced over $24 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to facilitate and implement health information technology and train unemployed Oregonians for the health care industry.
“Today’s Recovery Act investment will allow Oregon to move one step closer to a 21st century system for managing health information,” Merkley said. “These funds will put out-of-work Oregonians into health care training programs so they can find jobs in a modernizing health care system.”
“With support like this from the Recovery Act, Oregonians will get the training they need for the health care jobs of the future,” said Wyden. “Health IT will be a huge part of how health care works in the future and it’s great news that Oregonians will be ready for the jobs that new technology will bring.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced over $750 million in Recovery Act grant awards today to help states and health care providers advance the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology. The state of Oregon received $8.5 million to facilitate the exchange among providers of health information and Oregon-based OCHIN Inc. received $13.2 million to support the development of a regional extension center that will aid health professionals as they work to implement and use health information technology.
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Labor announced $226 million in Recovery Act funding across the nation for health care, high growth and emerging industries job training grant awards. The Enterprise for Employment and Education in Oregon received a $2.3 million grant today to train and find employment for approximately 250 Oregonians in the health care field.
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