MINNEAPOLIS, March 18, 2008—The Minnesota Department of Health has approved the first two loans under a new $6.3 million Electronic Health Record Revolving Account and Loan Program.

The Minnesota Department of Health today announced it has approved the first two loans under a new $6.3 million Electronic Health Record Revolving Account and Loan Program.

Swift County-Benson Hospital, in Benson, and Mille Lacs Health System, in Onamia, will borrow a total of $2.3 million under the program to implement electronic health records in their communities.

The loan program provides six-year, no-interest loans up to $1.5 million to help Minnesota’s rural hospitals, small town physician clinics, nursing homes, and other community health care providers replace their paper records with powerful interoperable electronic health record systems.

Funding for the program is part of the state’s e-Health Initiative, which is a broad set of strategies using health information technology to improve the quality and efficiency of health care.

Minnesota law requires all Minnesota health care providers to use electronic patient health records by January 1, 2015, so they can exchange patient health information and deliver optimal care at all points of the health care system.

Additional loan requests are currently under review.