May 6, 2014 - Tom Novak and Paul Klintworth on ONC's Regional Extension Centers

During our May 6th eHealth call, special guests Thomas Novak and Paul Klintworth from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) provided an overview of the nationwide Regional Extension Centers (RECs) that assist providers in EHR implementation and other health IT needs.  Guy Mansueto, an advisor for PCPCC's eHealth SIG, facilitated the call and asked the panelists several questions specific to the RECs. 

Topics covered include:

  • How are RECs organized and implemented?
  • What types of practices receive support from the RECs and what has been shown to be most valuable?
  • How are patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs) supported by RECs? Successes and barriers?
  • What can RECs do to help drive consumers to better understand and move to the PCMH model of care? 

Access detailed agenda here.  Access Paul Klintworth's slides here.

Speaker Bios:
Thomas Novak is
Director of Delivery System Reform in the Office of Provider Adoption and Support at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) where he coordinates the aggressive support – via 62 RECs nationwide - for the implementation of Meaningful Use Stage 2 with an emphasis on coordination with other HHS priorities such as health information exchanges, electronic health record (EHR) privacy & security, consumer engagement, and a particular emphasis on alignment with new care models such as the PCMH and accountable care organizations. He also leads the support efforts for ICD-10 and serves on several committees supporting correctional health initiatives.  You can email Mr. Novak at
thomas.novak@hhs.gov.

Paul Klintworth, MSPM, HITc is the Medical Home Community of Practice Lead within the Office of Provider Adoption & Support where he coordinates regionally-focused and state-based RECs that provide technical, clinical, and practice coaching support to providers and practices engaged in PCMH transformation.  Additionally, Mr. Klintworth is responsible for offering technical assistance and guidance on health IT care delivery transformation in support of provider efforts to become meaningful users of EHRs. You can email Mr. Klintworth at Paul.Klintworth@hhs.gov.

Call Recording: 
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