EHR Donation Program

California Pacific Medical Center has created the EHR Donation Program to enhance the quality and efficiency of medical care, as well as facilitate improved clinical integration among practicing physicians in San Francisco. The EHR Donation Program is intended to allow participating physicians to cost effectively implement a full-featured electronic health record (EHR) with broad connectivity to other providers and varied clinical data sources. In implementing this EHR, program physicians are expected to meet federal "meaningful use" criteria, thus making them eligible for government financial incentives available between 2011 and 2015.

• Selection Criteria
• Application Form
• Benefits at a Glance
• Key Provisions
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Billing Information
• Selected Physician Practices

Who is Eligible?

All interested members of the California Pacific and St. Luke's medical staff who:

• practice in an office-based setting


• do not currently have full EHR capabilities in their practices


• are not scheduled to go live on EPIC with Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation


• meet minimum standards for technology infrastructure in their offices (network, desktop computing requirements)

No prior EHR experience required

Planned Timeline

• Three-year program (Jan. 1, 2011–Dec. 31, 2013)


• 85 physicians to be brought on each year


• First physician groups to be selected and go live by end of 4th quarter 2010

Program features

• Allscripts EHR with integrated GE Centricity physician practice management software


• Access to experienced implementation and support teams through vendor Brown & Toland Physician Services Organization (BTPSO); costs of implementation, training and support to include all office staff


• Comprehensive data interfaces with organizations throughout San Francisco, allowing results to be viewed within the EHR


• Robust privacy and security protections


• Creation of a Physician Advisory Committee(to advise California Pacific Administration on the development of physician selection criteria as well as definition of the process for applying for the program; Brown & Toland as technical advisor)

Who will pay for the program?

• California Pacific will absorb 82% of the cost per participating physician (estimated $1,321/month per physician)


• Participating physician share is 18% of cost (estimated $290/month per physician)


• California Pacific's ability to make donations ends Dec. 31, 2013

Minimum physician requirements

• Application form


• Completed checklist that outlines what existing infrastructure (including hardware) is in place to qualify


• Three-year agreements (one with CPMC and one with Brown & Toland)


• Cost-sharing (see above), including three month deposit

EHR Donation Advisory Committee

• Arieh Rosenbaum, MD, Chair (hospitalist)


• Desiree Arretz, MD (internal medicine)


• Jay Long, MD (vascular surgeon)


• Robert Margolin, MD (internal medicine)


• Adrian Rawlinson, MD (orthopedist)