A health center controlled network's experience in ambulatory care EHR implementation.

Implementing a full-featured EHR at a community health center is a daunting undertaking. Stakeholder buy-in, contract negotiation, workflow redesign, equipment purchases, preloading charts and trainings are just some of the necessary tasks in managing an implementation. METCHIT, a health center controlled network, used a collaborative approach to implement electronic medical records. This article will cover the experience, benefits and lessons learned by a group of four FQHCs that took a cooperative, mentorship approach to implementation. Since 2005, the four community health centers, Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, Morris Heights Health Center, Settlement Health, and Comprehensive Community Development Corporation, have implemented EHRs at four organizations with multiple sites in diverse neighborhoods in New York City. The collaboration began and grew during this period, aided by a technology grant from HRSA.