6 HIT grants awarded for substance abuse

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has awarded more than $4 million in six health IT grants to healthcare providers to expand access to substance abuse treatment.

The six recipients, in California, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin, are expected to use the money for Web-based services, smartphones and apps.

“One of the most important recent advances in medicine is the application of information technology to health care,” SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde said in a release. “It is important that the behavioral health field be part of these technological advances to reach people who need treatment with safe, high-quality care.”

The six awardees will receive up to $840,000 for the three-year projects. Continuations of these awards are subject to availability of funds and progress achieved by the awardees.

Beth Walsh,

Editor

Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.

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