PaperFree Tampa Bay, a new public-private partnership, has launched a plan to convert all physicians in the Tampa Bay area from paper prescriptions to electronic prescribing.
The initiative will deploy more than 100 “electronic healthcare ambassadors” to help physicians quickly and easily transition from paper-based prescriptions, known to be the cause of costly medical errors, to electronic prescribing. PaperFree Tampa Bay plans to seek American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to help support the initiative.
A number of key stakeholders, including University of South Florida Health and Allscripts, will fund the initial phase of the project, which will target Hillsborough County’s 3,200 physicians. Funding from ARRA would be used to expand the program to the entire 10-county Tampa Bay region, including the counties of DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota.
Read the press release.
