Wide River Technology Extension Center, the designated REC for the state of Nebraska, is the first REC to take advantage of Health IT Certification's (HITC's) HIT and EHR training and certification program at a special discount for RECs acquiring 250 or more licenses. Greg Schieke, Wide River TEC's Senior Vice President selected this online approach to quickly train staff and physician practice personal with proven courses in HIT and EHR that had previously been taken by several physician practices and hospitals in Nebraska and found to be very beneficial. "The discounted pricing offered to RECs is icing on the cake, making the training very affordable."

Several RECs have indicated a strong interest in taking advantage of the "boots on the ground" readiness of these existing, high quality online courses and the low price point. CPHIT and/or CPEHR certified professional have indicated the extreme relevance of these courses to the RECs' education needs. The fact that their offered online makes it very attractive for meeting the needs of the RECs in training large numbers of people. The low discounted price offers RECs an opportunity to cost effectively deliver this nationally recognized training program to their local communities online at a very cost effective price point.

For REC participants who prefer in-person training, Health IT Certification is also offering a discount for its upcoming CPEHR programs in Cambridge, MA on August 16-18, 2010 and in San Francisco on October 6-8, 2010. Refer to www.healthitcertification.com for details.

More than 2,000 individuals have taken advantage of HITC training since 2005. About 15 percent of the attendees have been physicians. More than half of quality improvement organizations have sent staff to this training under the DOQ-IT program and in anticipation of ramping up for REC work.

In-house programs on-site are also available. For additional information on Health IT Certification and this special program, refer to www.healthitcertification.com or contact Monica Cunningham, Vice President of Marketing at mcunningham@healthitcertification.com.