Klobuchar, Franken Announce $1.38 Million To Improve Minnesota’s Immunization Process

"U.S. Senate"

09/01/2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. [09/01/10] - Today, U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken (D-Minn.) announced that the Minnesota State Department of Health will receive $1.38 million to improve Minnesota’s immunization process. The funding for this grant was provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the Department of Health and Human Services.

“Information technology has the power to reduce waste, rein in costs, stimulate innovation, and improve quality in our health care system,” Klobuchar said. “This project will improve the electronic health records of immunizations and vaccinations, which is critical to protecting public health and maintaining Minnesota’s standard for high-quality patient care.”

“We shouldn’t have to choose between saving money and improving the quality of care that Minnesotans receive,” said Sen. Franken. “This stimulus funding will help eliminate dangerous redundancies, cut costs, and improve the overall quality of our health care, as far as I’m concerned, it’s a win, win, win for Minnesota.”

The coordination of the immunization process that this funding makes possible will help to ensure that a patient’s current immunization status is consistent and available to every clinical practice using electronic health records or accessing an immunization registry no matter where the practice is located in the U.S.