BY COLIN HICKEY

Staff Writer

HealthReach Community Health Centers learned in March of more than $350,000 in economic stimulus money headed its way.

This week the funding news got nearly four times better.

HealthReach, which has its headquarters in Waterville, learned Monday that it will receive more than $1.3 million in economic stimulus money from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

"It is very good news," HealthReach President Connie Coggins said Thursday. "It will help us further our mission in the communities."

The nonprofit organization, operator of 11 rural health centers in central Maine, is not the only rural health agency to benefit from the latest round of money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Sebasticook Family Doctors, which has administrative offices in Newport, will receive $439,348 from the federal initiative.

The nonprofit runs clinics in six communities, including Newport, Hartland, Canaan and Pittsfield.

Coggins, who also is HealthReach's chief executive officer, said the grant money must be used for capital improvement needs.

Coggins said HealthReach will use most of the funds to establish an integrated electronic medical record system at its 11 clinics.

HealthReach currently has four clinics, including Lovejoy Health Center in Albion and Belgrade Regional Health Center, that have completed the conversion to an electronic medical record system.

"(This) will allow us to complete the initial implementation for sure," Coggins said.

Coggins said electronic record keeping requires substantial investments in computers, servers, scanners and telecommunication equipment.

Such a system, she said, helps to improve efficiency and reduce mistakes.

Instead of having to read a physician's handwritten script, a pharmacist will receive prescriptions sent electronically with information on quantity and dosage easy to read and in a standard format, Coggins said.

The system also has built-in reminders concerning the medical history of patients. Thus a doctor might get a message that a certain patient is due to have a colonoscopy or a mammogram, Coggins said.

Physicians in the HealthReach clinics, meanwhile, will no longer have to race from home to their respective clinics to obtain records from filing cabinets when a patient has an urgent medical concern during the weekend or late at night.

"With the (electronic medical records) system, the physician will be able to access records right from home in a secure, private way," Coggins said. "There are a lot of advantages to (electronic medical records). This money will really help us move forward on the project."

Coggins said receiving money for capital improvement needs means HealthReach can free up other funds to pay for other expenses associated with the clinics.

Money from the grant became available Wednesday, Coggins said, and the funding is good through June 30, 2011.

The $1.3 million for HealthReach is part of $10.2 million in federal Community Health Center funding for 18 community health centers in Maine.

HealthReach received the second-largest disbursement. Penobscot Community Health Center, which has its headquarters in Bucksport, ranked first, receiving $1.8 million.

Colin Hickey -- 861-9205

chickey@centralmaine.com